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THE  EPIGRAPHIC  SOURCES 


OF  THE  WRITINGS  OF 


GAIUS   SUETONIUS  TRANQUILLUS 


A  DISSERTATION 

PRESENTED  FOR  THE  DEGREE  OF  DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 
IN  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  MICHIGAN  IN  1897 

BY 

WALTER   DENNISON 


(Reprint  from  the  American  Journal  of  Archakologt, 
Second  Series,  Vol.  II,  1898) 


THE  MACMILLAN   COMPANY^^^^^^^ 

1898 


I  \  -J-. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/epigraphicsourceOOdennrich 


THE  EPIGRAPHIC  SOURCES 


OF  THE   WRITIISGS   OF 


GAIUS    SUETONIUS  TRANQUILLUS 


A  DISSERTATION 

PRESENTED  FOR  THE  DEGREE  OF  DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 
JN  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  MICHIGAN  IN  1897 

BY 

WALTER   DENNISON 


(Reprint  from  the  American  Journal  of  Archaeology, 
Second  Series,  Vol.  II,  1898) 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

1898 


^mer Iran  Sciiool;  '■!,,',  :\  .  -^      1  ^    \  \ 
of  Classical  Studies  ^  ^  v 

in  Eome 


^^ 


THE   EPIGRAPHIC   SOURCES   OF    SUETONIUS 


No  one  has  hitherto  undertaken  a  thorough  investigation  in 
regard  to  the  extent  to  which  the  ancient  Roman  historians 
made  use  of  epigraphical  monuments.^  Of  those  who  have 
written  on  the  sources  of  Suetonius,  Maffei^  has  given  some 
attention  to  the  inscriptions  actually  occurring  in  the  text ; 
Schweiger^  has  merely  mentioned  the  Monumentum  Ancyra- 
num  (p.  13),  the  Fasti  (p.  19),  and  the  public  monuments 
(pp.  24,  26);  Krause*  refers  only  in  a  general  way  to  the  Fasti, 
acta  publica,  monumenta  (pp.  29,  30,  35,  42,  53-55,  58,  75), 
and  to  the  Monumentum  Ancyranum,  which,  he  remarks,  Sue- 
tonius "  summa  cum  diligentia  consuluit "  ;  H.  Lehmann  ^ 
treats  briefly  of  the  epigraphical  sources  of  Suetonius  with 
special  reference  to  the  Monumentum  Ancyranum ;  likewise 
Egger  in  a  discussion  of  the  historians  of  the  time  of  Augustus^ 
(pp.  270-272),  Baumgarten-Crusius  in  his  edition  of  Suetonius'' 
(III,  p.  714  f.),  and  Roth  in  his  edition  of  Suetonius  (p.  xv). 

Inscriptions  are  rightly  regarded  by  modern  historians  as 
affording  invaluable  evidence  for  the  understanding  of  ancient 
life  and  the  unravelling  of  ancient  history.  This  is  apparent 
to  one  familiar  with  the  works  of  Th.  Mommsen,  for  example", 
who  in  this  field  is  easily  doctorum  princeps.     Ancient  histo- 

1  Cf.  Hiibner's  remark  in  Ivan  v.  Mtiller's  Handbuch,  I,  p.  628  (flji.). 
~  Ars  critica  Lapid.  lib.  II,  cap.  II,  pp.  43  f . 

2  De  fontibiis  atque  auctoritate  vitarum  XII Imperatorum  Suetonii,  Gottingen, 
1830. 

*  De  C.  Suetonii  Tranquilli  fontihus  et  auctoritate^  Berlin,  1831. 

^  Claudius  und  Nero  und  ihre  Zeit,  Gotha,  1858,  pp.  50-53. 

^  Examen  des  historiens  anciens  du  regne  d^Augiiste,  Paris,  1844. 

7  Published  at  Turin,  1823-26. 

American  Journal  of  Archaeology,  Second  Series.     Journal  of  the  26 

Archaeological  Institute  of  America,  Vol.  II  (1898),  Nos.  1,  2. 


TEIE  EPIGBAPHIC  SOUBCES   OF  SUETONIUS  27 

rians,  as  well,  were  able  to  avail  themselves  of  the  evidence  of 
inscriptions  if  they  chose  to  do  so,  though  in  the  time  of  Sue- 
tonius the  extant  documentary  evidence  was  doubtless  more 
abundant  and  more  easily  accessible. 

In  the  first  place,  an  examination  of  the  text  of  Suetonius 
will  be  helpful  in  determining  how  communicative  the  historian 
is,  in  general,  with  regard  to  the  sources  from  which  he  drew. 

There  are  many  passages  that  refer  in  a  general  way  to  the 
source,  e.^j.  serihunt  quidam  (^Auy.  15);  ut  quidam putant  (^Tih. 
9,  Oal,  23);  ut  plurimi  tradant  QCal.  4);  ut  multi  opinantur 
(^Otho  9);  a  nonnullis  .  .  .  proditum  QAug.  3);  ex  nonnullis 
eomperi  (Nero  29) ;  iactatum  a  quibusdam  (  Vesp.  16) ;  constans 
opinio  est  (Caes.  50);  alii  tradunt  (Col.  25);  originem  alii 
aliam  tradunt  (Vit,  1);  sunt  qui  putent  .  .  .  alii  opinantur 
(Caes.  86);  quidam  tradunt  .  .  .  /  alii  .  .  .  diversa  fama  est, 
Multi  .  .  .  aiunt.  Nonnulli  .  .  .  (Claud,  44);  nee  tamen  de- 
sunt  qui  .   .   .  seribant  (Tib.  5),  etc. 

Frequently,  remarks  of  different  emperors^  are  quoted  di- 
rectly, in  extracts  that  Suetonius  presumably  took  from  literary 
sources,  e.g.  Etiam  nunc  regredi  possumus  ;  quod  si  ponticulum 
transierimus,  omnia  armis  agenda  erunt  (Caes.  31);  Quintili 
Vare,  legiones  redde  /  (Aug.  23);  Ipsius  verba  sunt:  Bum  ve- 
niam  ad  id  tempus,  quo  vobis  aequum  possit  videri  dare  vos  ali- 
quam  senectuti  meae  requiem  (Tib.  24);  (ut  ipse  dicebat^  a^ioOpi- 
d/jL^evTov  (Cal.  47).  Other  direct  quotations  are  to  be  found 
in  Aug.  51,  99,  Tib.  28,  Claud.  16,  Nero  49,  Vesp.  8  ;  and  of  un- 
known authorship,  Aug.  26,  Cal.  8.  Quotations  of  this  charac- 
ter are  very  numerous.  There  are,  for  example,  in  the  life  of 
Augustus,  nineteen  direct  quotations,  of  which  fourteen  are 
from  the  emperor  himself;  in  the  life  of  Tiberius,  there  are 
thirteen,  nine  being  from  Tiberius  and  one  from  Augustus. 
These  quotations  are  now  in  verse,  now  in  prose,  sometimes  in 
Latin,  and  again  in  Greek. 

Many  passages  quote,  occasionally  directly,  more   often   in 

1  Cf.  Shuckburgh,  C.  Suetoni  Tranquilli  Divus  Augustus,  Cambridge,  1896, 
pp.  xxxi  f. 


254833 


28  WALTER  DENNISON 

indirect  discourse,  from  writers  and  historians,  some  of  whom 
are  obscure,  others  well  known.  Of  those  who  are  not  known 
to  us  from  other  sources,  or  whose  writings  have  entirely  or 
almost  entirely  perished,  may  be  mentioned  Aquilius  Niger 
(^Aug.  11),  lunius  Saturninus  (^Aug.  27),  C.  Drusus  QAug.  94), 
Julius  Marathus  (^Aug.  79,  94),  Cordus  Cremutius  (^Aiig.  35), 
Cassius  Severus  (^Vit.  2),  Tanusius  Geminus  (^Caes.  9),  M. 
Actorius  Naso  {Caes.  9,  52),  Titus  Ampins  (Caes.  77).  Well- 
known  authors  quoted  are  Cicero,  —  de  Officiis  (^Caes.  30), 
Epist.  (^Caes,  49,  Aug.  3),  ad  Brutum  (Caes.  55,  5Q'),  three 
quotations  being  without  definite  reference  to  his  works  (^Caes. 
42,  50,  Aug.  94);  Cornelius  Nepos  {Aug.  77);  M.  Antonius 
(Oaes.  52,  Aug.  2,  4,  7,  10,  16,  63,  68,  69,  70);  Asinius  Pollio 
QCaes.  55,  56);  Hirtius  (^Oaes.  56);  Plinius  Secundus  (^Oal.  8). 
Suetonius  made  much  use  of  the  letters  of  the  emperors  in 
writing  the  history  of  their  lives.  The  letters  of  Augustus 
are  quoted  orat.  reel,  fourteen  times,^  several  times  at  length. 
Some  peculiarities  2  in  Augustus's  handwriting  and  language 
are  noted  by  the  historian  (^Aug.  87,  88).  So,  too,  in  the  case  of 
the  letters  of  Caesar,  Tiberius,  Caligula,  Nero,  and  Domitian, 
extracts^  are  made  or  peculiarities  noted.  But  Suetonius  was 
familiar  with  different  books  and  pamphlets  published  by  the 
Caesars,  as  well  as  with  their  correspondence.  He  quotes  a 
laudatio  delivered  by  lulius  Caesar  (^Oaes.  6),  mentions  other 
works  of  his  (^Oaes.  26),  and  discusses  his  Commentaries  and  their 
authorship  (^Caes.  56');  he  quotes  directly  an  edict  of  Augustus 
(^Aug.  28),  and  was  acquainted  with  five  of  his  works  QAug. 
85);  he  made  an  extract  from  the  autobiography  of  Tiberius 
(^Tih.  61);  used  the  histories  written  by  Claudius  (^Claud.  21), 
as  well  as  a  certain  pamphlet  of  his  (ihid.  2),  some  orations 
(ibid.  38),  and  others  of  Claudius's  works  (ibid.  33,  38,  41, 
42)  ;    he  was  familiar  with  a  carmen  written  by  Nero  (Nero^ 

1  Aug.  51,  71  (3),  76  (3),  86,  92  ;   Tib.  21  ;   Cal.  8  ;   Claud.  4  (3). 

2  See  below  (p,  44),  where  passages  are  quoted  proving  that  Suetonius  had 
access  to  autograph  letters  of  Augustus. 

3  Caes.  26,  56  ;   Tib.  67  ;  Cal.  23  ;  Nero,  23,  41 ;  Dom.  13. 


THE  EPIGBAPHIC  SOUBCES   OF  SUETONIUS  29 

24);  and  he  mentions  a  history  composed  by  the  grandfather 
of  Galba  as  multiplicem  nee  incuriosam  QG-alha^  3). 

Mention  is  made  also  of  the  acta  publica  and  acta  diurna 
{Tib.  5,  Cal.  8,  Claud.  41),  as  sources  of  information,  and  of 
the  acta  senatus^  (^Aug.  5).  A  part  of  Aug.  58  seems  to  have 
been  taken  verbatim  from  the  acta  senatus. 

Suetonius  is  careful  to  indicate  the  source  when  he  relates 
the  story  told  by  his  grandfather  (^Oal.  19),  or  recounts  the 
events  of  which  his  father  (^Otho,  10)  or  he  himself  (^Bom.  12) 
was  an  eyewitness. 

There  are  also  passages  which  indicate  that  Suetonius  often 
took  pains  to  consult  different  sources  of  information  in  regard 
to  the  same  question,  and  that,  after  examining  them  all  care- 
fully, he  formed  his  own  opinion  in  view  of  all  the  evidence. 
This  is  observed  in  his  treatment  of  the  origin  of  the  Octavian 
family  (^Aug.  2),  and  of  the  various  accounts  of  the  birthplace 
of  Caligula  (^Oal.  8).  We  may  here  notice,  too,  the  expres- 
sions ut  equidem  mirer  (^Aug.  3);  omitto  senatus  consulta  quia 
possunt  vlderi  vel  necessitate  expressa  vel  verecundia  (^Aug.  57) ; 
nee  ego  id  iiotarem^  nisi  mihi  mirum  videretur  tradidisse  aliquos 
.  .  .  {Aug.  88);  Scio  vulgo  persuasum.  .  .  .  JVe  illud  quidem 
ignoro  aliquos  tradidisse.  .  ;  .  Adduci  tamen  nequeo  quin  existi- 
mem  .  .  .  (^Tlb.  21)  ;  unde  credo  (^Cal.  51)  ;  unde  existimo 
(^Claud.  1);  ipse  ne  vestigium  quidem  de  hoe,  quamvis  satis 
curiose  inquirerem,  inveni  (^Vesp.  1).  He  presents  matters  of 
small  importance  (^Claud.  1),  ne  praetermitterem  quam  quia 
verum  aut  veri  simile  putem. 

In  the  light  of  this  brief  survey,  we  are  able  to  understand 
to  what  extent  Suetonius  has  expressly  made  mention  of  the 
writings  and  documents  which  he  used  as  sources.  If,  there- 
fore, he  has  referred  so  freely  to  the  writers  to  whom  he  is  in- 
debted, and  to  the  works  from  which  he  has  made  extracts,  we 
may  reasonably  expect  that  he  will  as  freely  refer  to  the  in- 
scriptions, if  he  really  used  these  as  historical  material. 

1  Cf.  E.  Hlibner,  De  Senatus  popuUque  Bomani  actis,  in  Fleckeisen's  Jahr- 
biicherf.  klass.  Phil,  (suppl.  Band,  funftes  Heft),  1860,  pp.  559-631. 


30 


WALTER  DEXNISON 


THE  MONUMEXTUM   ANCYRANUM  AND   SUETONIUS 

In  the  discussion  of  the  epigraphical  sources,  especially  of 
the  life  of  Augustus,  we  must  consider,  as  of  prime  importance, 
the  Monumentum  Ancyranum.  Suetonius's  indebtedness  to 
this  inscription  has  been  treated,  other  than  by  those  men- 
tioned above  (p.  27),  by  Mommsen  in  his  edition  (pp.  ix,  1,  31, 
50,  91,  132). 1  That  it  may  be  better  understood  how  far  the 
language  of  Suetonius  corresponds  to  that  of  the  monument,  I 
have  subjoined  the  following  table,  in  which  I  have  introduced 
the  text  of  the  inscription  so  far  as  it  deals  with  subject-matter 
transmitted  also  by  Suetonius: 


MONUMENTUM   ANCYRANUM 

1.  Rerum  gestarum  divi  Augusti,  quibus 
orbem  terra [vum]  imperio  populi  Rom(ani) 
subiecit,  et  inpensarum,  quas  in  rem  publi- 
cam  populumque  Ro[ma]num  fecit,  incisarum 
in  duabus  aheneis  pilis,  quae  su[n]t  Romae 
positae,  exemplar  sub[i]ectum. 

M.A.  1, 1-3 

2.  Annos  undeviginti  natus  exercitum  pri- 
vate consilio  et  privata  impensa  comparavi, 
per  quern  rem  publicam  [do]minatione  factio- 
nis  oppressam  in  libertatem  vindica[vi]. 


SUETONIUS 
Augustus,  101 
.  .  .  indicem  rerum  a 
se  gestarum,  quem  vellet 
incidi  in  aeneis  tabulis, 
quae  ante  Mausoleum 
statuerentur. 


Aug.  8 
Atque  ab  eo  tempore 
exercitibus  comparatis  . . . 
solus  rem  p.  tenuit. 


M.A.  I,  6,  7 

3.  Res  publica  n[e  quid  detri- 
menti  caperet,  me]  pro  praetore 
simul  cum  consulibus  pro[videre 
iussit] . 

M.A.  1, 10-12 

4.  Qui  parentem  meum  [inter- 
fecer]un[t,  eo]s  in  exilium  expuli 
iudiciis  legitimis  ultus  eorum  [fajci- 
n  [us,  e]t  postea  bellum  inferentis  rei 
publicae  vici  b[is  a]cie. 


Aug.  10 
iussusque  comparato  exercitui  pro 
praetore  praeesse  et  cum  Hirtio  ac 
Pansa,  qui  consulatum  susceperant, 
D.  Bruto  opem  ferre. 

Aug.  10 
nihil  convenientius  ducens  quain 
necem  avunculi  vindicare  tuerique 
acta,  .  .  .  Brutum  Cassiumque  .  .  . 
legibus  adgredi  reosqne  caedis  ab- 
sentis  deferre  statuit. 

Aug.  13 
Philippense   quoque   bellum  .  .  . 
duplici  proelio  transegit. 


1  Bes  Gestae  Divi  Augusti,  Berol.  1883. 


THE  EPIGRAPHIC  SOURCES  OF  SUETONIUS 


31 


/^tA^26 


31. A.  I,  13 

5.    B]ella  terra  et  mari  c[ivilia  exter]iiaque 


toto  in  orbe  terrarum  s[uscepi]. 


Aug.  9    '^ 
Bella    civilia    quinque 
gessit. 


3f.A.  I,  21,  22 
6.   Bis]    ovaiis    trium- 
pha[vi,  tris  egi   cjurulis 
triumphos. 


Aug.  22 
Bis  ovans  ingressus  est  urbem,  post  Philip- 
pense  et  rursus  post  Siculum  bellum.     Curulis 
triumphos    tris    egit,    Delmaticura,    Actiacum, 
Alexandrinum,  continuo  triduo  omnes. 


M.A.  I,  24,  25 

7.  Ob  res  a  [me  aut  per  legatos] 
meos  auspicis  meis  terra  m[ariqu]e 
pr[o]spere  gestas,  etc. 

M.A.  I,  31,  32 

8.  Dictaturajm  et  apsent[i  et 
praesenti  mihi  datam  ...  a  populo 
et  senatu  M.  Marcejllo  e[t]  L.  Ar- 
[nmtio  consulibus  non  accepi. 

M.A.I,  32-35 

9.  Non  recusavi  in  summa  fru- 
menti  p]enuri[a  c]iiratio[ne]m  an- 
[nonae,  qu]am  ita  ad[ministravi, 
ut  .  .  .  paucis  diebu]s  metu  et 
per[i]c[lo  quo  erat  populu]m  uni- 
v[ersum  meis  impensis  liberarem]. 


Aug.  21 
Domuit  autem  partim  ductu  par- 
tim  auspiciis  suis  Cantabriam,  Aqui- 
taniam,  etc. 

Aug.  52 
Dictaturam    magna  vi    offerente 
populo,  genu  nixus  deiecta  ab  ume- 
ris   toga   nudo   pectore    deprecatus 
est. 

Aug,  41 

Frumentum  quoque  in  annonae 
difficultatibus  saepe  levissirao,  inter- 
dum  nullo  pretio  viritim  admensus 
est  tesserasque^jiummarias  dupli- 
cavit. 

Cf.  also  Aug.  42. 


M.A.  I,  35,  36 

10.  Con[sulatum  turn  dat]um 
annuum  e[t  perpetuum  non  ac- 
cepi] . 

M.A.  Gr.  Ill,  14-19 

11.  rrjg  [t€  (r]vvK\rJTOV  kol  tov  S-qfiov  tov 
'Viojxatiov  ofjLoXoyl^ojvvTOiv,  ri/[a  ctti/xc] A>;t^s  twv 

T€     VOfJiOyV     KOL     T(x)V     TpOTTOiV     c[7r6      TTJ      IXe]yL(TTY) 

[€^]ovcr[ta  /x]o[vo]s  xuporovqOw,  dpxr]v  ovSe- 
/x[ta]v  7ra[pa  to.  7ra]Tp[ta]  €[^]'>;  BLSofxivrjv 
dvcSe^dfJLTjv. 

M.A.  Gr.  Ill,  19-23 

12.  d  §€  TOTC  8l  Ijxov  -q  (rvvK\r)TO^  oIkovo- 
jLieio-^at  i^ovXero,  rrjs  Srjfjuipx'-Kr}^  e^o[D]<Tias 
<jiv  eT€\r)[^cra.  K]at  ravTrj^  avTrj<;  r^s  dpxrj': 
(TvvdpxovTa  avr]o5  aTro  r^?  o-vvkXtjtov  7r[£v]Ta- 
Kts  aiTrj(Ta<s  [eXJa/Sov. 


Aug.  26  treats  of  the  consulships 
of  Augustus,  but  nothing  is  said 
about  the  consulship  for  life  being 
offered  him. 


Aug.  27 
Recepit  et  morum  le- 
gumque    regimen    aeque 
perpetuum  .  .  . 


Aug.  27 
Tribuniciam  potesta- 
tem  perpetuam  recepit, 
in  qua  semel  atque  ite- 
rum  per  singula  lustra 
collegam  sibi  cooptavit. 


1^ 


G\ 


G^ 


/ 


32 


WALTER  DENNISON 


M.A.  Gr.  IV,  1,  2  | 

13.    Tptwv    avhpoiv   iyivofXYjV   Byj/jlo- 
^     (TLwv  TTpay/xarwv  KaTop6(OTr]s  avvexi- 
(TLv  €Te(nv  SeKtt. 


Aug.  27 
Triumviratum   rei   p.   constituen- 
dae  per  decern  annos  administravit. 


o 

e-1 


M.A.  II,  1,  2 
14.    Seuatum  ter  legi. 


Aug.  35 
Senatorum  affluentem  numerum  deformi  et 
incondita  turba  ...  ad  modum  pristiniim  et 
splendorein  redegit  duabus  lectionibus;   etc. 


M.A.  II,  2-11 
15.  et  in  consulatu  sexto  censum  populi  con- 
lega  M.  Agrippa  egi.  Lustrum  post  annum  al- 
teram et  quadragensimum  fec[i].  Quo  lustro 
civium  Romanorum  censa  sunt  capita  quadra- 
giens  centum  millia  et  sexag[i]nta  tria  millia. 
[lteru]m  consular!  cum  imperio  lustrum  [s]olus 
feci  C.  Censoi'in  [o  et  C]  Asinio  cos.  Quo  lustro 
censa  sunt  civium  Romanoru[m  capita]  quadra- 
giens  centum  millia  et  ducenta  triginta  tria 
m[illia.  Tertiujm  consular!  cum  imperio  lu- 
strum conlega  Tib.  Cae[sare  filio  feci]  Sex. 
Pompeio  et  Sex.  Appuleio  cos.  Quo  lustro 
ce[nsa  sunt  civium  Ro]manorum  capitum  qua- 
dragiens  centum  mill[ia  et  nongenta  tr]iginta 
et  septem  millia.         t  > 


Aug.  27 
Recepit  et  morum  le- 
gumque  regimen  aeque 
perpetuum,  quo  iure, 
quamquam  sine  censurae 
honore  censum  tamen 
populi  ter  egit :  primum 
ac  tertium  cum  collega, 
medium  solus. 


M.A.  II,  12-14 
16.  Legibus  novi[s  la- 
tis  complura  e]  xempla 
maiorum  exolescentia  iam 
ex  nost[ro  usu  redux!  et 
ipse]  multarum  rer[um 
exe]  mpla  imitanda  po- 
s[teris  tradidi]. 


Aug.  24 
In  re  militari  et  commutavit  multa  et  insti- 
tuit,  atque  etiam  ad  antiquum  morem  nonnulla 
revocavit. 

Aug.  31:  Nonnulla  etiam  ex  antiquis  cae- 
rimoniis  paulatim  abolita  restituit,  ut,  etc. 
^A  ug.  34 :  Leges  retractavit,  etc.  A  ug.  40 :  Etiam 
habitum  vestitumque  pristinum  reducere  stu- 
duit,  etc.  Aug.  43:  Sed  et  Troiae  lusum  edi- 
dit  .  .  .  prisci  decorique  moris  existimans. 


M.A.  II,  23-28 
17.  Pontif]ex  maximus  ne  fierem  in  vivi 
[c]onle[gae  locum,  populo  id  sace]rdotium 
deferente  mihi,  quod  pater  meu[s  habuit,  re- 
cusavi.  Cepi  id]  sacerdotium  aliquod  post 
annos  eo  mor[tuo  qui  civilis  motus.  o]ccasione 
occupaverat,  cuncta  ex  Italia,  etc. 


Aug.  31 
Postquam  vero  pontifi- 
catum  maximum,  quem 
numquam  vivo  Lepido 
auferre  sustinuerat,  mor- 
tuo  demum  suscepit. 


THE  EPIGRAPH IC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS 


33 


M.A.  II,  34-37 
18.  [Senatus  consiilto  eodem  tempor]e  pars 
[praetorum  et  trijbuuoriim  [plebi  cum  con- 
sule  Q.  Liicretjio  et  princi[pi]bus  [viris 
objviam  mihi  mis[s]a  e[st  in  Campan]ia[m, 
qui]  honos  [ad  hoc  tempus]  nemini  praeter 
[m]e  es[t  decretus. 


Aug.  57 
Revertentem    ex    pro- 
vincia  noii  solum  faustis 
ominibus  sed  et  modular      '  ^-wJtlU 
tis   carminibus   proseque- 
bantur. 


<t<v^'. 


M.A.  II,  42-45 
19.  [lanum]  Quiriii[um,  quern  cljaussum 
ess[e  maiores  nostri  voluerjunt,  [cum  p]er 
totum  i[mperium  po]puli  Iloma[ni-teiTa  mari- 
que  esjset  parta  vic[torii]s  pax,- cum  pr[iiis, 
quam]  uascerer,  [a  condita]  u[rb]e  bis  om- 
nino  clausum  [f]uisse  prodatur  m[emori]ae, 
ter  me  princi[pe  seiiat]us  claudendum  esse 
censui[t]. 


Aug.  22 
lanum  Quirinum,  se- 
mel  atque  iterum  a  con- 
dita urbe  ante  memoriam 
suam  clausum,  in  multo 
breviore  temporis  spatio 
■^erra  marique  pace  parta 
ter  clusit. 


M.A.  II,  46-III,  1 
20.   Fil]ios   meos,  quos   iuv[enes 
mi]  hi   eripuit   for  [tuna,   Gaium   et 
Lucium  Caesares  honoris  mei  caussa, 
etc. 


Cf.  Tib.  23:  Quoniam  atrox  for- 
tuna  Gaium  et  Lucium  filios  mihi 
eripuit.     Cf .  also  A  ug.  26. 


M.A.  Ill,  7-21 
21.  Plebei  Romanae  viritim  HS  trecenos  nu- 
meravi  ex  testamento  patris  mei,  et  nomine  meo 
HS  quadringenos  ex  bellorum  manibiis  consul 
quintum  dedi,  iterura  autem  in  consulatu  decimo 
ex  [p]atrimonio  meo  HS  ^adringenos  congiari 
viritim  pernumer[a]vi,\et  consul  undecimum 
duodecim  frumentationes  frumento  pr[i]vatim 
coempto  emensus  sum,  et  tribunicia  potestate 
duodecimum  quadringenos  iiummos  tertium  vi- 
ritim dedi.  Quae  mea  congiaria  p[e]rvenerunt 
ad  [homi]num  millia  nunquam  minus  quinqua- 
ginta  et  ducenta.  Tribu[nic]iae  potestatis  duo- 
devicensimum  consul  XII  trecentis  et  vigint[i] 
millibus  plebis  urbanae  sexagenos  denarios  viri- 
tim dedi.  In  colon  [i]s  militum  meorum  consul 
quintum  ex  manibiis  viritim  millia  numraum 
singula  dedi ;  acceperunt  id  triumphale  congi- 
arium  in  colo[n]is  hominum  circiter  centum  et 
viginti  millia.  Consul  tertium  dec [i] mum  sexa- 
genos denarios  plebei,  quae  turn  frumentum 
publicum  accipieba[t],  dedi;  ea  millia  homi- 
num paullo  plura  quam  ducenta  fuerunt. 


Aug.  41 
Congiaria  populo  fre- 
quenter dedit,  sed  diver- 
sae  fere  summae;  modo 
quadringenos,  modo  tre- 
cenos, nonnumquam  du- 
cenos  quinqifagenosque 
(here  Mommsen  conject- 
ures rather  quadragenos- 
que)  nummos. 

Caes.  83 
Viritim  trecenos  sester- 
tios  legavit  (Caesar). 


(^3 


Q,A 


34 


WALTER  DENNISON 


A) 


J)/.J.  Ill,  35-39 
22.  et  M.  Lep[i]do  et  L.  Ar[r]unt[i]o  cos. 
i[n]  aerarium  militare,  quod  ex  consilio  m[eo] 
co[nstitut]um  est,  ex  [q]uo  praemia  darentur 
militibus,  qui  vicena  [aut  plu]ra  sti[pendi]a 
emeruissent,  HS  niilliens  et  septing[e]nti[eiis 
ex  pa]t[rim]onio  [m]eo  detuli. 


Aug.  49 

utque  perpetuo  ac  sine 
difficultate  sumptus  ad 
tuendos  eos  prosequeii- 
dosque  suppeteret,  aera- 
rium militare  cum  vecti- 
galibus  novis  constituit. 

Cf.  Dio,  LV,  25. 


M.A.  IV,  1-4 
23.  Curiam  et  conti- 
nens  ei  chalcidicum,  tem- 
plumque  Apollinis  in 
Palatio  cum  porticibus, 
.  .  .  Lupercal,  porticum 
ad  Circum  Flaminium, 
quam  sum  appellari  pas- 
sus  ex  nomine  eius  qui 
priorem  eodem  in  solo 
fecerat,  Octaviam,  etc. 
„  /I 


M.A.  IV,  12-16 
24.  Forum  lulium  et  basilicam,  quae  fuit 
inter  aedem  Castoris  et  aedem  Saturni,  coepta 
profligataque  opera  a  patre  meo  perfeci  et  ean- 
dem  basilicam  consumptam  incendio  ampliato 
eius  solo  sub  titulo  nominis  filiorum  m[eorum 
ijncohavi  et,  si  vivus  non  perfecissem,  perfici 
ab  heredib£us  iussi]. 


Anc/.  29 

Publica  opera  plurima  extruxit,  e  qui  bus  vel 
praecipua:  .  .  .  templum  Apollinis  in  Palatio, 
.  .  .  Templum  Apollinis  in  ea  parte  Palatinae 
domus  excitavit  .  .  .;  addidit  portions  cum 
bibliotheca  Latina  Graecaque.  .  .  .  Quaedam 
etiam  opera  sub  nomine  alieno,  nepotum  scili- 
cet et  uxoris  sororisque,  fecit,  ut  .  .  .  porticus 
Liviae  et  Octaviae. 

Aug.  31:  Nonnulla  etiam  ex  antiquis  caeri- 
moniis  paulatim  abolita  restituit,  .  .  .  ut  sacrum 
Lupercale. 

Aug.  29 
Quaedam  etiam  opera 
aut  nomine  alieno  nepo- 
tum scilicet  et  uxoris 
sororisque  fecit,  ut  porti- 
cum basilicamque  Gai  et 
Luci,  .  .  . 


M.A.  IV,  17,  18 

25.  Duo  et  octoginta  templa  deum  in  urbe 
consul  sext[um  ex  decreto]  senatus  refeci, 
nullo  praetermisso  quod  e[o]  temp[ore  refici 
debebat] . 

M.A.  IV,  19 

26.  Con  [s]ul  septimum  viam  Flaminiam  a[b 
urbe]  Ari[minum   feci. 


Aug.  30 
Aedes  sacras  vetustate 
conlapsas     aut     incendio 
absumptas  re  fecit. 

Aug.  30 
desumpta   sibi   Flami- 
nia    via    Arimino    tenus 
munienda.       (Cf.   C.I.L. 
XT,  365.) 


M.A.  IV,  21,  22 
27.   In     private     solo 
Martis    Ultoris    templum 
'[f]orumque       Augustum 
^ex  manijbiis  feci. 


Aug.  29 

Publica  opera  plurima  extruxit,  e  quibus  vel 

praecipua :  Forum  cum  aede  Martis  Ultoris  .  .  . 

Aedem   Martis   bello   Philippensi,  pro   ultione 

paterna  suscepto,  voverat.  ^ 


THE  EPIGRAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS 


35 


M.A.  IV,  22,  23 

28.  Theatruni  ad  aede  (sic)  Apol- 
linis  in  solo  magna  ex  parte  a  p[r]i- 
[v]atis  empto  feci,  quod  sub  nomine 
M.  Marcell[iJ  generi  niei  esset. 

M.A.  IV,  23-26 

29.  Don  [a  e]x  niauibiis  in  Capi- 
tolio  et  in  aede  divi  Iu[l]i  et  in  aede 
Apollinis  et  in  aede  Vestae  et  in  tem- 
pi© Martis  Ultoris  consacravi,  quae 
mihi  constiterunt  HS  circiter  mil- 
liens. 


3f.A.  IV,  33-35 
30.   Bis    [at]hletarum    undique     accitorum 
spec[ta]c[lura  po]pulo  pra[ebui  meo]  nomine 
et  tertium  nepo[tis]  mei  nomine. 


Aug.  29 
Quaedam  etiam  opera  sub  nomine 
alieno,    nepotum    scilicet   et    uxoris 
sorovisque,  fecit ;    ut  .  .  .  theatrum 
Marcelli. 

Aug.  30 
Aedes  sacras  .  .  .  refecit  easque  et 
ceteras  opulentissimis  donis  adorna- 
vit,  ut  qui  in  cellam  Capitolini  lovis 
sedecim  milia  pondo  auri  gemmas- 
que  ac  margaritas  quingenties  sester- 
tii una  donatione  contulerit.  "~7 

^. 

Aug.  43 
Athletas   quoque  (edi 
dit),  extructis  in  Campa 
Martio  sedilibus  ligneis. 


^\JL*' 


.  \ 


M.A.  IV,  35,  36 
31.  L[u]dos  feci  m[eo 
no]  m  [ine]  quater,  alio- 
rum  autem  m  [agist]  ra- 
tu[um]  vicem  ter  et 
vicie[ns]. 


Aug.  43 
Fecisse  se  ludos  ait  suo  nomine  quater,  pro 
aliis  magistratibus,  Cqui  aut  abessent  aut  non 
sufficerent, 'ter  et  vicies. 


M.A.  IV,  36,  37 
32.    [Pr]o  conlegio  XV  virorum   magis[ter 
conl]e[gi]i  colleg[a]  M.  Agrippa  lud[os  s]ae- 
cl[are]s  C.  Furnio  C.  [S]ilano  cos.  [feci. 


Aug.  31 
NonnuUa  etiam  ex  an- 
tiquis    caerimoniis    .    .    . 
restituit,    ut   .   .   .  ludos 
Saeculares. 


hA-ft. 


M.A.  IV,  39-42 
33.  [Ven]ati[o]n[es]  best[ia]rum 
Africanarum  meo  nomine  aut  filio- 
[ru]m  meorum  et  nepotum  in  ci[r]co 
aut  [i]n  foro  aut  in  amphitheatris 
popul[o  d]edi  sexiens  et  viciens,  qui- 
bus  confecta  sunt  bestiarum  circiter 
tria  m[ill]ia  et  quingentae. 


Aug.  43 
[Circensibus  ludis  gladiatoriisque 
muneribus  frequentissime  editis  in- 
teriecit  plerumque  bestiarum  Afri- 
canarum venationes,  roth]  non  in 
foro  modo  nee  in  amphitheatro,  sed 
et  in  circo^t  in  Saeptis].  .  .  edidit. 


1 


M.A.  IV,  43-45 
34.  Xavalis  proeli  spectaclum  populo  de[di 
tr]ans  Tiberim,  in  quo  loco  nunc  nemus  est 
Caesarum,  (cavato  [s|olo]  in  longitudinem  mille 
et  octingentos  pedes,  in  latitudine[m  mille] 
e[t]  ducenti.y 


Sv^^^ 


Aug.  43 
item  navale  proelium, 
circa  Tiberim  cavato  solo,      N 
in    quo    nunc    Caesarum 
nemus  est.  "'^'^JJ/^*^  ' 


^il'Vt1- 


36 


WALTER  DENNISON 


> 


SI 


M.A.  IV,  51-54 

35.  Statuae  [mea]e  pedestres  et  equestres  et 
ill  quadrigeis  avgeiiteae  steterunt  in  urbe  XXC 
circiter,  quas  ipse  sustuli  exque  ea  pecunia 
dona  aurea  in  aede  Apol[li]nis  meo  nomine 
et  illorurn,  qui  mihi  statuarum  honorein  habu- 
erunt,  posui. 

M.A.  V,  3,  4 

36.  luravit  in  mea  verba  tota  Ita- 
lia sponte  sua  et  me  be  [Hi] ,  quo  vici 
ad  Actium,  ducem  depoposcit. 


Aug.  52 
in  urbe  . . .  atque  etiam 
argenteas  statuas  olim  sibi 
positas  conflavit  omnes 
exque  iis  aureas  cortinas 
Apollini  Palatino  dedica- 
vit. 


Aug.  17 
Bononiensibus  quoque  publice  .  .  . 
gratiam  fecit  •  coniurandi  cum   tota 
Italia  pro  partibus  suis. 


M.A.  V,  10-12 

37.  Gallias  et  Hispanias  provicia[s  (sic)  et 
Germaniam  qua  inclu]dit  oceanus  a  Gadibus 
ad  ostium  Albis  flum[inis  pacavi. 

M.A.  V,  12-14 

38.  Alpes  a  rejgione  ea,  quae  proxima  est 
Hadriano  mari,  [ad  Tuscum  pacari  fec]i  nulli 
genti  bello  per  iniuriam  inlato. 

I  y  n^'i  '^  '^"'      ~^^^  ^  M.A.  V,  24-27 

39.  Armeniam  maiorem  interfecto  rege  eias 
Artaxe  c[u]m  possem  facere  provinciam,  malui 
maiorum  nostrorum  exemplo  regn[u]ni  id  Ti- 
grani  regis  Artavasdis  filio,  nepoti  autem  Tigra- 
nis  regis,  per  T[i.  Nejronem  trad[er]e,  qui  turn 
mihi  priv[ig]nus  erat. 

M.A.  V,  36-38 
■y  40.   Italia  autem  XXVIII  [colo]nias,  quae 

vivo  me  celeberrimae   et  frequentissimae  fue- 
runt,  me  [is  auspicis]  deductas  hab[et]. 


(?i> 


Aug.  21 
Germanosque  ultra  Al- 
bim  fluvium  suinmovit. 


Aug.  21 
Xec  ulli  genti  sine  ius- 
tis    et    necessariis    causis 
bellum  intulit. 

Tib.  9 

dein  ducto  ad  Orientem 
exercitu,  regnum  Arme- 
niae  Tigrani  restituit. 

Cf.  also  Aug.  48. 


Aug.  46 
Italiam    duodetriginta 
coloniarum    numero,    de- 
ductarum  ab  se,  frequen- 
tavit.  ' 


M.A.  V,  40-42 

41.  Parthos  trium  exercitum  (sic) 
Roman  [o]rum  spolia  et  signa  re[d- 
dere]  mihi  supplicesque  amicitiam 
populi  Romani  petere  [coegi. 

M.A.  V,  44^9 

42.  Pannoniorum  gentes,  qua[s 
a]nte  me  principem  populi  Romani 
exercitus  nunquam  ad[i]t,  devictas 
per  Ti.  [Ne]ronem,  qui  tumerat  pri- 


Aug.  21 

Parthi  quoque  .  .  .  signa  militaria, 
quae  M.  Crasso  et  M.  Antonio  ade- 
merant,  reposcenti  reddiderunt  obsi- 
desque  insuper  optulerunt. 

Cf.  also  Tib.  9. 

Tib.  16 

Ac    perseverantiae    grande    pre- 

tium  tulit,  toto  Illyrico,  quod  inter 

Italian!     regn  unique     Xoricum     et 

Thraciam  et  Macedonian!  interque 


THE  EPIGRAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS 


37 


vignus  et  legatus  meus,  imperio  po- 
puli  Romani  s[ubiec]i  protulique 
fines  Illyrici  ad  r[ip]am  fluminis 
Dan[u]i,  citr[a  quod  Dacorum 
tr]aii[s]gressus  exercitus  meis  a[u]s- 
p[icis  vict]us  profligatusque  [est  et 
postea  tran]s  Dan[u]vmin  ductus 
ex[ercitus  me]u[s]  Da[cor]um  gen- 
tes  im[peria  populi  Romani  per- 
ferre  coegit]. 

M.A.Y,  50-52 

43.  Ad  me  ex  In[dia  regum  lega- 
tiones  saepe  missae  sunt,  numquam 
an  tea  visae]  apud  qu[em]q[uani] 
R[omanorum  du]cem.  Nostram 
am[icitiam  petierunt]  per  legat[os] 
B[a]starn[ae  Scythae]que  et  Sar- 
matarum  q[ui,  etc. 

M:A.  VI,  9-12 

44.  A  me  gentes  Parthorum  et  Medoru[m 
per  legatos]  principes  earum  gentium  reges 
pet[i]tos  acceperunt,  Par[thi  Vononem  regis 
Phr]atis  filium,  regis  Orodis  nepotem ;  Medi 
Ar[iobarzanem],  regis  Artavazdis  filium,  regis 
Ariobarzanis  nep[otem]. 


Danuvium  flumen  et  sinum  maris 
Hadriatici  patet,  perdomito  et  in 
dicionem  redacto. 

Aug.  21:  Coercuit  et  Dacorum 
incursiones,  tribus  eorum  ducibus 
cum  magna  copia  caesis. 


68 


Aug.  21 
Qua  virtutis  moderationisque 
fama,  Indos  etiam  ac  Scythos,  au- 
ditu  modo  cognitos,  pellexit  ad 
amicitiam  suam  populique  Rom. 
ultro  per  legatos  petendam. 

Aug.  21 

Parthi  . . .  denique,  plu- 

ribus  quondam  de  regno 

concertantibus,  nonnisi  ab 

ipso  electum  probaverunt. 


1^ 


Si 


j^Q 


M.A.  VI,  13-15 

45.  In  consulatu  sexto  et  septimo, 
b[ella  ubi  civil]  ia  exstinxeram  per 
consensum  universorum  [potitus  re- 
rum  omn]ium,  rem  publicam  ex 
mea  potestate  in  senat[us  populi- 
que Romani  a]rbitrium  transtuli. 

M.A.  VI,  16 

46.  Quo  pro  merito  meo  senatu[s 
consulto  Aug.  appe]llatus  sum. 


Aug.  28 

De  reddenda  re  p.  bis  cogitavit: 
primum  .  .  . ;  ac  rursus.  .  .  .  Sed  re- 
putans,  et  se  privatum  non  sine  peri- 
culo  fore  et  illam  plurium  arbitrio 
temere  committi,  in  retinenda  perse- 
veravit,  dubium,  eventu  meliore  an 
voluntate. 

Aug.  7 

Augusti  cognomen  assumpsit 
Munati  Planci  sententia,  etc. 


gJod  -  A^ 


€) 


M.A.  VI,  24,  25 
47.  Tertium  dec[i-] 
mum  consulatu  [m  cum 
gerebam,  senatus  et 
equ]ester  ordo  populus- 
q[ue]  Romanus  universus 
[appellavit  me  patrem 
p]atriae. 


Aug.  58 
Patris  patriae  cognomen  universi  repentino 
maximoque  consensu  detulerunt  ei :  prima  plebs, 
legatione  Antium  missa;  dein,  quia  non  reci- 
piebat,  ineunti  Romae,  spectacula  frequens  et 
laureata;.  mox  in  curia  senatus,  neque  decreto 
neque  adclaraatione,  sed  per  Yalerium  Messa- 
1am.     Is  mandantibus  cunctis,  etc. 


38  WALTER  DENNISON 

The  language  ^  of  Aug.  101  is  strikingly  similar  to  that  of 
the  heading  of  the  ^lonumentum  Ancyranum,  and,  because  of 
this,  Mommsen  (op.  eit.  p.  1)  asserts  Apparet  Suetonium  ipsam 
commentarii  inscriptionem  in  mente  habuisse,  cum  haec  scripsit'. 
But  if  we  compare  the  words  of  Suetonius  with  the  heading 
of  the  inscription  which  stood  in  Rome^  before  the  Mausoleum 
of  Augustus,  we  shall  find  that  in  reality  there  are  only  four 
words  common  to  both,  namely,  rerum  a  se  gestarum.  For  the 
heading  in  Rome,  as  seems  most  probable,  and  as  Mommsen 
himself  suggests  (p-  2),  ran  as  follows  :  Res  gestae  divi  Augusti, 
quibus  orbem  terrarum  imperio  populi  Romani  subiecit,  et  im- 
pensae,  quas  in  rem  publicam  populumque  Romanum  fecit.^ 
But  I  cannot  believe  that  the  historian  copied  the  heading 
of  the  inscription  that  was  set  up  in  Rome,  and  then,  after 
the  examination  of  this  evidence  alone,  wrote  the  passage  in 
Aug.  101  above  quoted.  My  reason  lies  in  his  own  words, 
quern  vellet  incidi  in  aeneis  tabulis^  quae  ante  Mausoleum  statue- 
rentur,  which  clearly  point  to  some  document  written  before 
the  inscription  was  cut,  and,  in  fact,  directing  the  making  and 
setting  up  of  it ;  they  seem  to  me  to  refer  to  the  volumen,  or,  at 
any  rate,  to  a  copy  of  it,  which  was  prepared  by  Augustus  and 
deposited  with  the  Vestal  Virgins,  by  whom  it  was  made  public 
after  the  Emperor's  death  (^Aug.  101).  This  document  may 
very  well  have  been  inscribed  Index  rerum  a  me  gestarum  quern 
volo  incidi  in  aeneis  tabulis  quae  ante  Mausoleum  statuantur. 
The  opinion  that  Suetonius's  source  in  writing  the  passage 
under  discussion  was  either  this  volumen,  or  a  copy  of  it,  has 
been  held  also  by  O.  Clason,^  by  J.  Schmidt,*  and  by  Cantarelli.^ 

1  Cf .  the  words  of  Dio  LVI,  33,  whose  source  seems  to  be  Suetonius : 
TO,  epya  a  eirpa^e  irdvra  a  Kai  is  xaXfas  (TrifKas  irpbs  r^  VPVV  o-^tov  <TTadel<xas 
dvaypa(p7jpai.  CKiXeva-e. 

'^  On  the  wording  of  the  title  of  the  original  inscription,  cf.  the  articles  of 
J.  Schmidt,  Philolof/ns,  XLIV,  pp.  442  ff.,  XLV,  pp.  393  ff.,  XLVI,  pp.  70  ff. ; 
of  E.  Bormann,  JRektoratsprogr.  der  Marhurger  Univ.,  1884;  O.  Hirschfeld, 
Wiener  Studien,  1885,  pp.  170  fE ;  Wilamowitz-Mollendorff,  Hermes,  XXI,  pp. 
623  ff.  ;  Wolfflin,  Sitzungsh.  d.  Miinch.  Acad.,  1886,  pp.  253  ff. 

3  Tacitus  und  Siieton,  Breslau,  1870,  p.  57. 

4  Philologns,  XLV,  pp.  402,  403.  &  Bull.  del.  Com.  Arch.  XVII,  pp.  64  f. 


THE  EPIGRAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  39 

The  latter,  moreover,  doubts  that  the  document  could  have 
been  inscribed  Index  rerum  a  me  gestarum,, etc.,  since  this  is 
too  specific  an  expression.  He  says  "mi  fa  suporre  che,  nel 
testamento  o  nei  mandata  de  funere  egli  abbia  usato,  per  mani- 
festare  la  sua  ultima  volunta,  rispetto  alio  scritto  da  lui  com- 
posto,  non  un  termine  speciale  come  quello  che  troviamo  in 
Suetonio,  ma  una  espressione  generica,  indeterminata,  simile 
a  questa :  quae  scripsi  altero  volumine  volo  incidi  in  duobus 
aeneis  tabulis  quae  ante  Mausoleum  statuantur."  Some  such 
expression  as  Divi  Augusti  index  rerum  a  se  gestarum,  Cantarelli 
thinks,  was  incorporated  in  the  heading  by  the  heirs  of  Augus- 
tus. Nissen  conjectures  ^  that  possibly  copies  of  the  original 
volumen^  or  of  the  inscription  itself,  were  in  general  circulation, 
entitled  Divi  Augusti  index  rerum  a  se  gestarum^  and  that  one 
of  these  came  into  the  hands  of  Suetonius. ^  Mommsen  indeed 
says :  "  Indice  ita  Romae  publice  proposito,  quem  et  auctoritas 
et  brevitas  commendaret,  non  mirum  est  usos  esse  rerum 
scriptores,  quorum  ex  iis  qui  extant  notitiam  eius  habuerunt 
Velleius  et  Suetonius  .  .  .  Libelli  forma  indicem  publice  edi- 
tum  esse  testatum  non  habemus  ;  et  Velleius  quidem  Suetonius- 
que  fieri  potest  ut  eum  legerint  in  ipso  acre,  neque  grammatici 
eum  citant.  At  cum  ii  citent  testamentum,  probabile  est  in- 
dicem quoque  hominibus  doctis  aetatis  posterioris  in  manibus 
fuisse "  (p.  ix),  "  Apparet  Suetonium  ipsam  commentarii  in- 
scriptionem  in  mente  habuisse "  (p.  1),  "indicem  videlicet 
secutus "  (p.  50),  "  Haec  ex  ipso  indice  citat  Suetonius " 
(p.  91).  Apparently  he  maintains  that  the  historian  used  the 
Index  alone  in  his  account,  but  in  a  later  article  ^  his  views  are 
more  clearly  expressed :  "  Die  Worte  Suetons  scheinen  auch 
nach  ihrer  Fassung  nicht  aus  der  Denkschrift,  sondern  aus  der 
die  Aufstellung  anordnenden  Verfiigung  entnommen  zu  sein 
und   diese    in   indirecter   Rede    anzuf iihren. "     He    continues: 


1  Bhein.  Mus.  XLI,  p.  492. 

2  See  I.e.  p.  497  (fin.),  "Sueton  muss  sine  Abschrift  der  Aufzeichung  am 
Mausoleum  vor  sich  gehabt  haben." 

3  Hist.  Zeit.  1887,  LVII,  pp.  391  ff. 


40  WALTER  DENNISON 

"  1st  dies  der  Fall,  so  bezeichnete  der  Kaisar  selbst  die  Denk- 
schrift  als  '  indicem  rerum  a  se  gestarum '  und  sollte  selbst 
diese  Wortfassung  von  Sueton  herriihren,  so  ist  es,  auch  von 
ihm  abgesehen,  mehr  als  wahrscheinlicli,  dass  der  Titel,  wie 
wir  ihn  lesen,  an  die  in  jener  Anordnung  gebrauchte  Bezeich- 
nung  sich  angeschlossen  hat."  Finally,  it  needs  to  be  noticed 
that  in  the  passage  in  Suetonius  the  following  words  do  not 
occur  :  "  quibus  orbem  terrarum  imperio  populi  Romani  subie- 
cit,  et  impensae,  quas  in  rem  publicam  populumque  Romanum 
fecit."  These  words  were  probably  not  inscribed  upon  the 
volumen  prepared  by  Augustus,  but  were,  rather,  added  later 
by  Tiberius,  when  the  inscription  itself  was  cut.^ 

That  all  these  volumina  were  opened  in  the  Senate  and  read 
by  Drusus  we  learn  from  Dio  Cassius,  LVI,  33,  Tac.  Ann.  I,  8, 
Suet.  Aug.  101 ;  that  they  were  then  treasured  up  in  some  of 
the  public  archives,  where  Suetonius  could  have  consulted 
them,  is  very  probable ;  finally  that  Suetonius  had  access  to 
various  private  documents  of  this  nature,  we  may  conjecture 
from  several  passages,  Aug.  50,  71,  87  (2)  (seo  below,  p.  44) ; 
besides,  from  Spart.  12.  3,  we  know  that  Suetonius  held  the 
important  post  of  epistularum  magister  under  the  Emperor 
Hadrian. 

Some  passages  in  Suetonius  correspond  to  the  inscription, 
but  with  varying  closeness. 

(1)  The  correspondence  is  sometimes  almost  word  for  word ; 
for  example, 

Aug.  27,  Recepit .  .  .  perpetuum,  and 

M.A.  Gr.  Ill,  14-19,  Trj<s  [re  o-Jvi/kXt/tov  .  .  .  dveSe^dfjL-qv  (but  see  below,  p.  42) 

(see  no.  11,  in  the  table  of  parallel  passages)  ; 
Aug.  27,  Triumviratum  .  .  .  administravit,  and 
M.A.  Gr.  IV,  1,  2,  rpttoi/  dvSpiov  •  .  .  Se/ca  (see  no.  13) ; 
Aug.  43,  Fecisse  .  .  .  vicies,  and 

M.A.  IV,  35,  36,  L[u]dos  .  .  .  vicie[ns]  (see  no.  31); 
Aug.  43,  item  navale  .  .  .  nemus  est,  and 
M.A.  IV,  43-45,  Navalis  .  .  .  ducent  (see  no.  34). 

1  This  is  called  into  question  by  Geppert,  Zum  Monumentum  Ancyranum, 
Prog.  d.  Berl.  Gymn.  zura  Grauen  Kloster.    Berol.  1887,  p.  12. 


OF 

THE  EPIGBAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  41 

Three  conjectures  may  be  made  to  explain  these  close  resem- 
blances. Suetonius's  source  in  these  passages  was  either  (1)  the 
inscription  itself  inscribed  upon  the  bronze  tablets,  or  (2)  some 
earlier  historian  who  had  copied  it  or  the  original  document,  or 
(3)  that  original  volumen  (or  a  copy  of  it),  the  heading  of 
which  (as  we  have  seen,  pp.  38  ff.)  Suetonius  was  probably 
thinking  of,  when  he  wrote  Aug,  101,  indicem  rerum  a  se 
gestarum,  etc.  The  third  conjecture  seems  to  me  by  far  the 
most  probable. 

The  words  qui  aut  abessent  aut  non  sufficerent  of  Aug.  43,  or 
language  of  similar  content,  are  not  transmitted  by  the  Mon. 
Anc.  One  wonders  whether  this  phrase  was  not  in  the  origi- 
nal document  prepared  by  Augustus,  but  was  omitted,  as  being 
unnecessary,  from  the  final  revision  made  by  Tiberius  before 
the  inscription  was  cut.  Possibly,  however,  it  was  taken  by 
Suetonius  from  some  other  source. 

(2)  The  correspondence  manifests  itself  in  a  striking  simi- 
larity of  language  : 

Aug.  22,  Bis  ovans  .  .  .  triduo  omnes,  and 

M.A.  I,  21,  22,  Bis]  ovans  .  .  .  triumphos  ^  (see  no.  6) ; 

Aug.  43,  non  in  foro  .  .  .  edidit,^  and 

M.A.  IV,  39-42,  [Ven]ati[o]n[es]  .  .  .  quingentae  (see  no.  33); 

Aug.  21,  nee  .  .  .  intulit,  and 

M.A.  V,  12-14,  Alpes  .  .  .  inlato  (see  no.  38); 

Aug.  46,  Italiam  .  .  .  frequentavit,  and 

M.A.  V,  36-38,  Itaha  .  .  .  hab[et]  (see  no.  40).      ^ 

(3)  The  correspondence  is  seen  in  excerpts,  >t  times  quite 

A  ug.  27,  Recepit  et  morum  .  .  .  solus,  and 

M.A.  II,  2-11,  et  in  consulatu  .  .  .  septem  millia^  (see  no.  15); 

1  But  compare  the  very  similar  manner  of  expression  in  Tih.  9,  Et  ovans  et 
curru  urbem  ingressus  est;  Cal.  49,  ova7is  urhem  .  .  .  ingressiis  est ;  Oros.  6. 18, 
ovans  urhem  ingressus;  Livy,  Ep.  133,  tres  triumphos  egit.  Besides,  the  addi- 
tional matter  given  in  the  passage  of  Suetonius  permits  us  to  think  of  other 
sources  as  well.  Cf.  the  acta  triumphorum  of  the  years  40  and  36  b.c. 
(C.I.L.  12,  p.  180),  which  Suetonius  does  not  seem  to  have  examined. 

2  Et  in  saeptis  is  clearly  from  some  other  source.     Cf.  Cal.  18. 

3  Cf .  Gardthausen,  Augustus,  II,  2,  pp.  531  f. 


42  WALTER  DENI^ISON 

Aug.  31,  Postquam  vero  .  .  .  suscepit,  a7id 

M.A.  II,  23-28,  Pontifjex  .  .  .  occupaverat  (see  no.  17); 

Aug.  22,  lanum  Quirinum  .  .  .  clusit,  and 

M.A.  II,  42-45,  [laiiiim]  Quirm[um  .  .  .  censui[t]  (see  no.  19)  ; 

Aug.  41,  Congiaria  .  .  .  nummos,i 
Caes.  83,  viritim  .  .  .  legavit,  and 
M.A.  Ill,  7-21,  Plebei  Romanae  .  .  .  ducenta  fiierunt  (see  no.  21) ; 

Aug.  49,  utque  perpetuo  .  .  .  constituit,  and 

M.A.  Ill,  35-39,  et  M.  Lep[i]do  .  .  .  detuli  (see  no.  22) ; 

Aug.  29,  Quaedam  etiam  opera  .  .  .  Gai  et  Luci,  and 

M.A.  IV,  12-16,  Forum  lulium  .  .  .  heredib[us  iussi]  ^  (see  no.  24); 

Aug.  52,  in  urbe  .  .  .  dedicavit,  and 

M.A.  IV,  51-54,  statuae  .  .  .  posui  (see  no.  35); 

Aug.  21,  Germanosque  .  .  .  summovit,  and 
M.A.  V,  10-12,  Gallias  .  .  .  pacavi  (see  no.  37); 

Aug.  21,  Parthi  .  .  .  probaverunt,  and 

M.A.  VI,  9-12,  A  me  gentes  Parthorum  .  .  .  nep[otem]  (see  no.  44). 

In  the  following  passages,  the  statements  of  Suetonius  differ 
from  ^  those  of  the  inscription  : 

Aug.  27,  Recepit  .  .  .  perpetnum,  and 

M.A.  Gr.  Ill,  14-19,  t^s  [re  (t]vvk\yitov  .  .  .  av^he^a^i-qv  (v.  above,  p.  40, 

Mommsen,  pp.  28,  29,  and  Gardthausen,  Augustus  II,  2,  pp.  521,  522) 

(see  no.  11)  ; 

Aug.  27,  Tribuniciam  .  .  .^cooptavit,  and 

M.A.  Gr.  in,  19-23,  a  Sc  t6t€  . . .  [cAjaySov  (see  Mommsen,  p.  31)  (see  no.  12); 

Aug.  35,  Senatorum  .  .  .  lectionibus,  and 

M.A.  II,  1,  2,  Senatum  ter  legi  (Mommsen,  pp.  35,  36)  (see  no.  14) ; 

Aug.  29,  Quaedam  etiam  opera  .  .  .  Octaviae,  and 

M.A.  IV,  2-4,  porticum  .  .  .  Octaviam  (Mommsen,  p.  80;  Festus,  p.  178, 
speaks  of  these  two  porticus)  (see  no.  23) ; 

1  Here  again  Suetonius  records  information  that  is  not  found  in  the  inscrip- 
tion ;  for,  independently  of  the  latter,  he  makes  mention  of  the  amounts  of  two 
hundred,  and  of  fifty  (Mommsen,  p.  60,  proposes  the  reading  quadragenosque) 
sestertii,  gifts  of  Augustus  to  the  people ;  on  the  other  hand,  he  says  nothing 
about  the  sixty  denarii,  which,  according  to  the  Mon.  Anc,  Augustus  gave  to 
each  of  the  plebs. 

'^  Cf.,  in  general,  all  of  Aug.  29,  30,  31,  and  M.A.  IV,  1-26  (see  nos.  23-29), 
curiam  et  continens  .  .  .  circiter  milliens.  In  the  case  of  some  of  these  build- 
ings, Suetonius  knew  of  their  being  constructed  or  restored  by  Augustus,  very 
likely  from  an  examination  of  their  dedicatory  inscriptions. 

3  Some  discrepancies  are  noted  also  by  Egger  {op.  cit.  pp.  271,  272). 


Au6.2(p  -  W  'A   I 


THE  EPIGBAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  43 

Aug.  28,  De  reddenda  .  .  .  voluntate,  and 

MA.  YI,  13-15,  In  consulatu  sexto  .  .  .  transtuli  (Momnisen,  p.  146)  (see 
110.24). 

Suetonius  makes  no  reference  whatever  to  some  subjects  that 
are  treated  fully  m  the  Mon.  Anc,  e.  g.  the  number  of  soldiers 
and  ships  captured  QM.A.  I,  16-20),  the  priestly  offices  of  the 
Emperor  {M.A.  I,  45,  46),  the  vows  undertaken  (II,  15-20), 
the  altar  of  Fortuna  Redux  (II,  29-33),  the  altar  of  Pax 
Augusta  (II,  37-41),  the  rewards  of  the  veterans  (III,  22- 
33),  the  aqueducts  (IV,  10-12),  the  clearing  of  the  sea  from 
pirates  (V,  1-3),  and  the  fleet  (V,  14-23).  As  regards  the 
other  passages  of  Suetonius,  although  their  context  is  similar 
to  that  of  the  Mon.  Anc,  yet  the  language  of  the  former  is 
not  such  that  we  can  assume  that  they  depend  directly  upon 
the  inscription. 

A  study  of  the  parallel  column  above  at  once  directs  atten- 
tion to  the  noteworthy  fact  that  all  the  close  resemblances  in 
the  text  of  the  historian  to  the  Mon.  Anc.  IV,  1-26  (see  nos. 
23-29),  occur  in  two  consecutive  ^  chapters,  Aug,  29,  30.  Sue- 
tonius seems,  at  one  time,  to  have  made  brief  notes  in  a  sum- 
mary manner,  as  when  he  says,  Quaedam  etiam  opera  sub  nomine 
alieno,  nepotum  scilicet  et  uxoris  sororisque  fecit,  ut,  etc.  ;  at 
another  time,  to  have  added  other  interesting  matter,  taken 
from  another  source,  e.  g.  the  reasons  for  building  the  temple  of 
Mars  Ultor,  and  for  constructing  the  Forum  Augusti ;  and  how 
it  happened  that  Augustus  consecrated  the  temple  of  lupiter 
Tonans. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  also,  that  what  is  said  about  the  Gauls 
is  transmitted  in  consecutive  text  by  both  Suetonius  (^Aug. 
43)  and  the  Mon.  Anc.  (IV,  33-48)  (see  nos.  30-34),  as  well 
as  the  relations  of  Augustus  with  the  barbaric  nations  (^Aug. 
21;  M.A.  V,  9-VI,  12)  (see  nos.  37-44). 

From  all  this  the  conclusion  may  be  drawn  that  we  are  in  no 

1  Nissen  {I.e.)  has  tried  to  show  that  Suetonius's  whole  scheme  of  arranging 
his  material  for  the  life  of  Augustus  depends  upon  the  Mon.  Anc.  C.  Wachs- 
muth,  Einleitung  in  das  Studium  der  alten  Geschichte  (Leipzig,  1895),  p.  685, 
n.  2,  is  not  convinced  of  the  truth  of  Nissen's  theory. 


44        '  WALTER  DENNISON 

way  authorized  by  the  resemblances  that  plainly  exist  between 
the  text  of  Suetonius  and  the  Moii.  Anc.  to  affirm  that  the 
historian  read  the  inscription  in  ipso  aere  ;  on  the  other  hand, 
from  what  Suetonius  says  regarding  the  original  volumeyi  (^Aug. 
101;  cf.  above,  pp.  38  ff.),  we  may  rather  suppose  that  he  con- 
sulted only  this  document,  or  a  copy  of  it,  and  that  from  this 
he  made  all  the  extracts  above  cited. ^ 

Besides  the  will  of  Augustus,  and  the  volumina  prepared  by 
him  (^Aug.  101,  Tlh.  23),  Suetonius  was  acquainted  with  the 
wills  of  Julius  Caesar  (^Caes.  83)  and  of  Tiberius  (^Tib.  76). 

Finally,  he  not  only  made  use  of  many  letters  of  the  Em- 
perors (see  above,  p.  28),  but  had  access  even  to  certain  auto- 
graph letters  of  Augustus.  In  Aug.  87,  he  reports  certain 
peculiarities,  which  litterae  ipsius  autographicae  ostenfant ;  ^  and 
below  he  says,  JVotavi  et  in  chirographo  eius  ilia  p7'aecipue :  non 
dividit  verba  nee  ab  extrema  parte  versuum  abundantis  litteras  in 
alterum  transfert,  sed  ibidem  statim  subieit  circumducitque.  In 
ibid.  88  he  discusses  the  orthography  of  Augustus.  We  may 
compare  also  ibid.  71,  autographa  quadam  epistula  .   .   .  ait.^ 

The  remaining  passages  will  be  treated  under  the  follow- 
ing heads  :  (1)  Passages  that  seem  to  refer  to  inscriptions 
actually  examined  by  Suetonius ;  (2)  Passages  referring  to 
inscriptions  that  Suetonius  may  very  likely  have  examined; 
(3)  Passages  referring  to  inscriptions  that,  in  all  probability, 
were  not  examined  by  Suetonius  personally ;  (4)  Passages 
referring  in  a  general  way  to  inscriptions  themselves,  or  to 

1  If  the  two  other  volumina  {Aug.  101)  were  extant,  we  might  possibly  find 
that  Suetonius  had  made  use  of  these,  too,  as  sources. 

2  On  the  word  domos^  used  by  Augustus  in  the  genitive  case  for  domus,  cf. 
Ritschl,  Opusc.  IV,  p.  169,  and  Lindsay,  Latin  Language,  pp.  380,  384  ;  on 
simus  for  sumus,  cf.  C.I.L.  IX,  3473,  1.  14,  and  Lindsay,  L.L.,  p.  29.  Compare 
Quint.  Inst.  Orat.  1,  6,  19  and  1,  7,  22,  for  other  orthographical  peculiarities  in 
the  letters  of  Augustus.  His  style,  neque  praepositiones  urhihus  addere  neque 
coniunctiones  saepius  iterare  duhitamt ;  etc.  {Aug.  86),.  and  other  peculiarities  of 
diction  are  discussed  with  reference  to  the  Man.  Anc.  by  Wolfflin,  Sitzungsh.  d. 
kon.  hayr.  Akad.  d.  Wissensch.,  1896,  II,  pp.  162  f.,  174-176,  178,  180. 

3  Cf.  also  Nero  52,  Venere  in  manus  meas  pugillares  libellique  cum  quibus- 
dam  notissimis  versibus  ipsius  chirographo  scriptis  .  .  .  ;  ita  multa  et  deleta  et 
inducia  et  superscripta  inerant. 


THE  EPIGRAPIIIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  45 

monuments  often  inscribed ;  (5)  Passages  that  exhibit  a  re- 
semblance to  existing  inscriptions ;  (6)  Miscellaneous  refer- 
ences ;  (7)  The  Cognomina  and  Titles  of  the  Emperors, 
occurring  in  Suetonius's  narrative,  as  confirmed  by  the  in- 
scriptions. 

I.    PASSAGES  THAT   SEEM   TO   REFER   TO  INSCRIPTIONS 
ACTUALLY  EXAMINED   BY  SUETONIUS 

(a)  Specific  Reference 

Augustus,  7 

Infanti  cognomen  Thurino  inditum  est,  in  memoriam  maiorum  origi- 
iiis,  vel  quod  regione  Thurina  recens  eo  nato  pater  Octavius  adversus 
fugitivos  rem  prospere  gesserat.  Thurinum  cognominatum  satis  certa  pro- 
batione  tradiderim,  nactus  puerilem  imagunculam  eius  aeream  veterem, 
ferreis  et  paene  iam  exolescentibus  litteris  hoc  nomine  inscriptam,  quae 
dono  a  me  principi  data  inter  cubiculi  Lares  colitur. 

The  imaguncula  may  have  been  a  very  small  image  of  the 
youthful  Octavius,  of  the  kind  often  noted  to-day  in  modern 
museums  of  antiquities.  Of  the  two  reasons  which  Suetonius 
advances  to  explain  this  cognomen,  the  first,  in  memoriam 
maiorum  originis^  must  be  rejected,  because  from  no  source  do 
we  learn  that  the  Octavian  gens  came  originally  from  Thurii,  or 
its  vicinity.  But,  on  the  contrary,  we  are  told  by  Dio  Cas- 
sius  (XLV,  1),  and  by  Suetonius  himself  (Aug.  1),  that  the 
Octavii  were  natives  of  Yelitrae.^  The  second  conjecture  is 
much  more  plausible.  It  is  well  known  (App.  B.C.  I,  117; 
Flor.  Ill,  20,  5;  cf.  also  Suet.  Aug.  3)  that  Spartacus  took  pos- 
session of  Thurii  in  72  B.C.,  and  that  the  remnant  of  the  famous 
gladiator's  band  was  destroyed  by  Cn.  Octavius,  the  father  of 
Augustus,  while  he  was  on  his  way  to  his  provincial  post  in 
Macedonia,^  that  is,  in  60  B.C.,  when  his  son  was  three  years 
old.  That  Augustus  bore  this  cognomen  is  known  only  from 
this  passage  in  Suetonius,  where  the  statement  is  based  on  three 
separate  grounds,  —  (1)  the  imaguncula  itself,  (2)  certain  let- 

1  Cf.  Gardthausen,  Augustus,  I,  1,  p.  45. 

2  Cf.  the  inscription  of  Octavius,  C.I.L.  VI,  131  P. 


46  WALTER  BENNISON 

ters  of  M.  Antonius,  (3)  certain  letters  written  by  Augustus  in 
reply  to  Antonius.  .  These  letters,  of  course,  have  not  come 
down  to  us. 

Thurinus  was  not,  however,  a  cognomen,  properly  speaking, 
as  Suetonius  seems  to  have  regarded  it,  but  Augustus,  if  he 
had  this  title  in  his  earlier  days,  took  it  doubtless  from  his 
father,  who  earned  it  as  'cognomen  ex  virtute.'  Other  exam- 
ples could  be  cited  of  similar  cognomina,  won  by  father  and 
assumed  by  son.  The  two  sons  of  P.  Cornelius  Scipio  Afri- 
canus  the  elder  were  named :  the  one,  L.  Cornelius  Scipio 
Africanus  ;  the  other,  L.  (or  Cn.)  Cornelius  Scipio  Africanus 
(cf.  Marquardt,  Privatlehen  der  Romer^  p.  16,  n.  6).  The 
cognomen  Thurinus  was  not,  at  any  rate,  a  permanent  one  of 
the  Octavian  gens^  and  was  applied  by  Antonius  to  Augustus, 
rather  as  a  term  of  abuse,  as  if  he  were  provincial  and  boorish 
(^Aug.  7).^  In  no  inscription  preserved  to  us  is  the  cognomen 
Thurinus  applied  either  to  Augustus  or  to  any  member  of  the 
Octavian  family. 

Inscriptions  upon  imagunculae  that  have  come  down  to  us 
indicate  the  name,  not  of  the  person  represented,  but  of  the 
manufacturer,  e.  g.  C.I.L.  X,  5689.  Possibly  the  letters  in 
this  particular  imaguncula  of  Octavius  were  not  sufficiently 
well  understood  by  Suetonius,  since  he  remarks  upon  their 
character,  paene  iam  exolescentihus  litteris.  At  any  rate,  the 
image  was  revered  as  that  of  the  youthful  Octavius  because 
inter  euhiculi  Qprineipis)  Lares  colitur? 

^  So,  too,  the  cognomen  Aricina  was  applied  in  the  same  abusive  way  to  Atia, 
mother  of  Augustus,  Cic.  Phil.  Ill,  vi,  15,  where  Cicero's  reply  reveals  the 
meaning  of  the  cognomen.  Compare  also  Cal.  23,  Liviam  Augustam  .  .  .  igno- 
hilitatis  .  .  .  arguere  ausus  est,  quasi  materno  avo  decurione  Fundano  ortam. 
Concerning  the  cognomen  Thurinus,  Drumann  (Geschichte  Boms,  IV,  p.  234) 
thinks  that  perhaps  earlier  in  life  Octavius,  or  his  geiis,  placed  a  great  deal  of 
importance  upon  the  achievement  in  the  Thurine  district,  and  so  assumed  Thu- 
rinus as  a  '  cognomen  ex  virtute ' ;  but  that  afterwards,  when  it  was  abandoned, 
the  cognomen  was  applied  to  the  members  of  the  gens  as  a  term  of  ridicule  and 
abuse.     Octavianus  was  called  also  KaLirias,  according  to  Dio  Cass.  XLV,  1. 

•^  Compare  the  note  of  Casaubon  (ed.  Wolf),  III,  pp.  239,  240,  "  Quod  in  litteris 
eius  imagunculae  quam  commemorat  Suetonius  non  magis  fieri  poterat  quam 
caelaturae  aureae  in  iis  operibus  quae  hodie  vocamus  Damascena";  cf.  Dio  Cass. 


THE  EPIGRAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  47 

(&)   More  General  Reference 

Tiberius,  5 

Tiberiiini.  qiiidam  Fundis  natum  existimaverunt,  secuti  levem  coniec- 
turam,  quod  materna  eius  avia  Fundana  fuerit,  et  quod  mox  simulacrum 
Felicitatis  ex  S.  C.  publicatum  ibi  sit.  Sed  ut  plures  certioresque  tradunt, 
natus  est  Romae  in  Palatio  XVI.  Kal.  Dec.  M.  Aemilio  Lepido  iterum,  L. 
Munatio  Planco  conss.  per  bellum  Philippense.  Sic  enim  in  fastos  actaque 
in  publica  relatum  est. 

Just  what  is  meant  by  fasti  here  is  not  at  once  apparent, 
since  the  ancients  used  this  term  of  various  kinds  of  records. 
At  first,  those  days  were  colled  fasti  on  which  it  was  permitted 
fari  apud  praetorem ;  then  it  came  to  mean  the  series  or  se- 
quence of  dies  fasti,  in  other  words,  the  calendar ;  and  finally, 
as  belonging  to,  or  forming  a  part  of,  the  calendar,  the  fasti 
came  to  mean  the  consecutive  series  or  records  of  the  consuls  ; 
or  also  the  records  of  different  priestly  offices  (Marquardt, 
Romische  Staatsverwaltung,  IIP,  pp.  300,  301).  The  testimony 
of  the  passage  of  Suetonius  in  question  is  confirmed  by  the 
Fasti  Anni  luliani.  Appended  to  the  date  of  November  16 
(XVI,  k.  Dec),  we  read  (^CLL.  P,  p.  335)  Natales  Ti.  Cae- 
saris,  FER.  CVM  ;  Ti.  AugQusti')  NataK^is'),  ANT.^  Suetonius 
seems  to  have  been  familiar  with  fasti  of  this  class,  for  he 
speaks  (^de  III.  G-ram.  17),  of  the  fasti  at  Praeneste,  as  marmoreo 
pariete  incisos  (see  O.I.L.  P,  p.  230).  But  it  needs  to  be  noted 
that  Suetonius,  in  the  passage  in  question,  has  quoted  the  fasti 
for  the  purpose  of  corroborating  the  account  of  the  place  where 

XLIV,  7.     On  the  cognomina,  etc.,  of  Augustus,  see  Weichert,  Imp.  Caes.  Aug. 
scriptorum  reliquiae^  pp.  61  ff, 

1  The  birthdays  of  other  emperors  as  recorded  {A\ig.  5,  Cal.  8,  Claud.  2)  by- 
Suetonius  agree  with  the  Fasti ;  but  the  historian  does  not  indicate  the  source  of 
his  information.  On  the  other  hand,  the  day  on  which  Drusus,  the  son  of  Tibe- 
rius, was  born,  is  not  mentioned  {Tih.  7),  or  the  day  on  which  Agrippa  was 
born  {Cal.  7),  or  the  day  when  Augustus  assumed  the  toga  mrilis  {Aug.  8), 
although  the  information  could  have  been  gained  by  an  examination  of  the 
Fasti.  Finally,  when  Suetonius  treats  of  subjects  mentioned  also  by  the  Fasti,  his 
language  is  not  such  as  would  lead  us  to  believe  that  the  latter  were  his  source 
of  information.  Compare,  for  example,  Aug.  31,  and  the  Fasti  pr.  non.  Mart.., 
concerning  the  office  of  pontifex  maximus  ;  Tib.  2,  and  the  Fasti  pr.  non.  Apr.., 
concerning  the  introduction  into  Rome  of  the  worship  of  the  Magna  Mater ; 
Tib.  25,  and  the  Fasti  id.  Sept.,  concerning  the  impious  designs  of  M.  Libo. 


48  WALTER   DEMJS^ISON 

Tiberius  was  born.  Bamngarten-Crusius  (I.e.  p.  267)  considers 
the  -que  i^rjyrjTtKov,  for  "fasti  sunt  pars  actorum  publicorum.'' 

Caligula,  23 
Livium  Augustam  proaviam,  Ulixem  stolatum  identidem  appellans,  etiam 
ignobilitatis  quadam  ad  senatum  epistula  arguere  ausus  est,  quasi  materno 
avo  deciirione  Fundano  ortam  ;  cum  publicis  monumentis  certum  sit,  Aufi- 
dium  Lurconem  [A/ss.  Lyrgonem]  Romae  honoribus  functum. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  nomen  of  Livia's  grandfather  on  her 
mother's  side  was  Aljidius,  not  Aufidius.     See  C.I.L.  IX,  3661, 

ALFIDIA   M.    F.    MATER    AUGUSTAS  ;    ibid.    II,    1667,    ALFIDIAE 

MAT.  augustae;  Bull,  de  Vecolefrangaise  d'Athenes,  1868-71, 
p.  231,  6  8rj/jL0(;  I  ^ A.\(f>ihCav  TTjV  firjirepa  6ea^  ^lovXCa^  \  2ey8aa-T['^]9, 
etc.  For  an  explanation  of  the  discrepancy,  see  Pauly-Wis- 
sowa,  Real-Ency..,  under  Aufidius  Lurco.  Tlie  confusion  be- 
tween Alfidius  and  Aufidius  suggests  that  there  may  have  been 
a  close  resemblance  in  the  vulgar  pronunciation. 

Claudius,  41 

Novas  etiam  commentus  est  litteras  tres,  ac  numero  veterum  quasi  maxi- 

me  necessarias  addidit;   de  quarum  ratione  cum  privatus  adhuc  volumen 

edidisset,  mox  princeps  non  difficulter  optinuit  ut  in  usu  quoque  promiscuo 

assent.    Extat  talis  scriptura  in  plerisque  libris  ac  diurnis  titulisque  operum. 

These  so-called  Claudian  letters  are  discussed  by  Corssen, 
Aussprache  d.  Lat.  Sprache^  I,  pp.  26  f.,  and  by  Biicheler,  De  Ti. 
Olaudio  Grrammatico^  Elberfeld,  1856.  Cf.  Tac.  Ann.  XI,  14. 
There  is  abundant  epigraphical  evidence  for  the  character  J 
to  represent  consonantal  u  (e.g.  C.I.L.  VI,  355,  2034,  etc.),  and 
for  the  character  h  to  represent  the  sound  midway  between 
i  and  u  (e.  g.  the  well-known  inscription  in  the  Capitoline 
Museum,  C.I.L.  VI,  553).  No  certain  example  exists  of  the 
letter  0,  to  represent  the  sound  of  the  Greek  letter  ^. 

II.    passages  referring  to   inscriptions  that   SUE- 
TONIUS MAY  VERY  LIKELY  HAVE  EXAMINED 

Caesar,  85 
(Plebs)  postea  solidam  columnam  prope  viginti  pedum  lapidis  Numidici 
in  foro  statuit  scripsitque:  Parenti   Patriae.     Apud  eam  longo  tempore 
sacrificare,  vota  suscipere,  controversias  quasdam  interposito  per  Caesarem 
iure  iurando  distrahere  perseveravit. 


THE  EPIGBAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  49 

Whether  this  column  was  still  anywhere  to  be  seen  in  Sue- 
tonius's  time,  we  do  not  know.  The  last  sentence,  Apud  earn 
.  .  .  perseveravit^  seems  to  point  towards  the  hypothesis  that 
the  plebs  had  ceased  to  offer  sacrifice,  to  make  vows,  etc.,  in 
the  presence  of  the  column.  From  a  reference  of  Cicero  (ad 
Att.  XIV,  15,  2)  it  would  appear  that  the  column  had  been  re- 
moved, but  it  may  have  been  preserved.^  The  inscription  is 
worded  differently  Cic.  ad  Fam.  XII,  3,  Parenti  optimo  merito. 

Caligula,  15 

De  sororibus  auctor  fuit,  ut  omnibus  sacramentis  adiceretur :  neque  me 
liberosque  meos  cariores  habebo  quam  Gaium  habeo  et  sorores  eius ;  item  rela- 
tionibus  consulum :  quod  bonum  felixque  sit  C.  Caesari  sororibusque  eius. 

The  formula,  neque  me  liberosque  meos  cariores  habebo  quam 
Gaium  habeo  et  sorores  eius.,  has,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  inscrip- 
tional  authority.  But  quod  bonum  felixque  sit  C.  Caesari  sorori- 
busque eius  was  proposed  by  Mommsen  QEph.  Epig.  V,  p.  158), 
as  a  conjectural  restoration  of  the  mutilated  passage  in  the 
Acta  of  the  Fratres  Arvales.  It  was  restored  differently  by 
Henzen  (CLL.  VI,  2028'  =  ed.  Henzen,  p.  xlii).  On  the 
oath  taken  in  the  name  of  the  Emperor  Caligula,  see,  in 
general,  Eph.  Epig,  V,  pp.  154  f.     Cf .  Dio  Cass.  LIX,  3. 

Caligula,  24 
Tres  gladios  in  necem  suam  praeparatos  Marti  Ultori,  addito  elogio,  con- 
secravit. 

Caligula,  41 

Eius  modi  vectigalibus  indictis  neque  propositis,  cum  per  ignorantiara 
scripturae  multa  commissa  fierent,  tandem  flagitante  populo  proposuit 
quidem  legem,  sed  et  minutissimis  litteris  et  angustissimo  loco,  uti  ne  cui 
describere  liceret. 

Claudius,  1 

Xec  contentus  elogium  tumulo  eius  (Drusi)  versibus  a  se  compositis  in- 
scLilpsisse,  etiam  vitae  memoriam  prosa  oratione  composuit. 

One  wonders  if  Suetonius  did  not  make  use  of  this  elogium 
in  writing  the  first  chapter  of  the  life  of  Claudius.     Perhaps, 

1  Cf.  Baumgarten-Crusius,  I,  p.  155,  sed  potuit  manere  loco,  ubi  fuerat 
columna,  sanctitas  qiiaedani,  donee  Augustus,  teste  Appiano,  templum  ibi 
extruxit. 


50  WALTER  DEN  N I  SON 

however,  the  words  versibus  a  se  eompositis  should  lead  us  to 
infer  that  Suetonius's  source  for  his  statement  was  purely 
literary.  Similar  elogia  were,  very  likely,  those  of  L.  and  C. 
Caesar  (^C.LL.  VI,  894,  895). 

Nero,  10 
Recitavit  et  carmina,  non  modo  domi  sed  et  in  theatro,  tanta  universoruni 
laetitia,  ut  ob  recitationem  supplicatio  decreta  sit,  eaque  pars  carminuin 
aureis  litteris  lovi  Capitolino  dicata. 

An  oratio  inscribed  upon  a  silver  column  is  reported  by 
Xiphilinus,  LXI,  3.  Dio  Cassius  (XLIV,  7)  states  that  a 
decree,  passed  as  a  mark  of  honor  to  Caesar,  was  inscribed  in 
gilt  letters  upon  a  silver  pillar. 

Galha,  2 
Xeroni  Galba  successit  nullo  gradu  contingens  Caesarum   domum,  sed 
hand  dubie  nobilissinius  magnaque  et  vetere  prosapia,  ut  qui  statuarum 
titulis  pronepotem  se  Quinti  Catuli  Capitolini  semper  ascripserit. 

Q.  Lutatius  Catulus,  cos.  78  B.C.  {CLL.  VI,  1314),  well 
known  as  a  firm  supporter  of  Cicero  in  suppressing  the  con- 
spiracy of  Catiline,  won  the  cognomen  Capitolinus  by  his  dedi- 
cation of  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Capitolinus,  destroyed  by  fire 
in  83  B.C.  (Tac.  Hist.  3,  72).  No  inscription  is  extant  in 
which  Galba  is  called  pronepos  of  Catulus.^    Cp.  Plut.  G-alba,  3. 

Vitellius,  3 
Defunctum   (L.  Vitellium,   Imp.  A.  Vitelli  patruum)   senatus  publico 
funere  honoravit,  item  stataa  pro  rostris  cum  hac  inscriptione :  pietatis 
immobilis  erga  principem. 

No  such  inscription  is  extant,  or  is  mentioned  by  Tacitus. 

Vespasianus,  1 
Locus  etiam  ad  sextum  miliarium  a  Nursia  Spoletium  euntibus  in  monte 
summo  appellatur  Vespasiae,  ubi  Vespasiorum  complura  monumenta  extant, 
magnum  indicium  splendoris  familiae  et  vestutatis. 

This  refers,  I  think,  rather  to  buildings,  etc.,  that  the  Ves- 
pasii  had  constructed  than  to  tituli.  See  the  notes  on  O.I.L. 
IX,  4541. 

1  Popillia,  the  mother  of  Catulus,  had,  as  second  husband,  L.  lulius  Caesar, 
the  grandfather  of  L.  lulius  Caesar  who  was  consul  in  90  b.c. 


THE  EPIGUAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  51 

Domitianus,  5,  13 

Pluritna  et  amplissima  opera  incendio  absumpta  restituit,  in  quis  et 
Capitolium,  quod  riirsus  arserat;  sed  omnia  sub  titulo  tantum  suo  ac  sine 
ulla  pristini  auctoris  memoria. 

lanos  arcusque  cum  quadrigis  et  insignibus  triuraphorum  per  regiones 
urbis  tantos  ac  tot  extruxit,  ut  cuidam  Graece  inscriptum  sit :  arci. 

The  text  in  the  latter  passage  is  not  sound  (see  Roth,  ed.  Suet, 
p.  1),  a  condition  no  doubt  due  to  the  similarity  of  the  word 
arci  (apK€i)  to  arcus.  We  should  probably  understand  from 
this  passage,  however,  that  arci  was  not  cut  upon  the  public 
monument  as  an  inscription,  but  was  rather  simply  written  or 
scratched  upon  it. 

III.  PASSAGES  REFERRING  TO  INSCRIPTIONS  THAT,  IN 
ALL  PROBABILITY,  WERE  NOT  EXAMINED  BY  SUETO- 
NIUS PERSONALLY 

Caesar,  80 

Subscripsere  quidam  Luci  Bruti  statuae  :  Utinam  viveres ! 

This,  again,  was  rather  written  than  cut  on  the  base  of  the 
statue.  There  exists,  to  be  sure,  an  inscription  worded  thus, 
but  it  has  been  shown  to  be  false,  O.I.L.  Yl,  Part  V,  *!'*. 
Cf.  Plut.  Brut.  9. 

Caesar,  81 

Paucos  ante  menses,  cum  in  colonia  Capua  deducti  lege  luha  coloni  ad 
extruendas  villas  vetustissima  sepulchra  dissicerent,  idque  eo  studiosius 
facerent,  quod  aliquantum  vasculorum  operis  antiqui  scrutantes  reperiebant, 
tabula  aenea  in  monimento,  in  quo  dicebatur  Capys  conditor  Capuae  sepultus, 
inventa  est,  conscripta  litteris  verbisque  Graecis  hac  sententia,  Quandoque 
ossa  Capyis  detecta  essent,  fore  ut  lulo  prognatus  manu  cojisanguineorum 
necaretur  7nagnisque  mox  Italiae  cladibus  vindicaretur.  Cuius  rei,  ne  quis 
fabulosam  aut  commenticiam  putet,  auctor  est  Cornelius  Balbus,  farailiaris- 
simus  Caesaris. 

Such  an  inscription,  of  course,  hardly  existed,  though  there 
is  no  good  reason  to  doubt  that  ancient  tombs  were  found,  in 
which  there  might  have  been  some  inscribed  objects.  Cf.  C.I.L. 
X,  p.  365 :  "  Sed,  ut  par  est,  non  magis  defuerunt,  qui  clarae 
urbi  Troianum  quendam  Capyn  conditorem  adsererent  eumque 
cum  domo  ea  quae  Romam  condidisse  fertur  aliqua  ratione 
coniunctum,  in  qua  opinione  et  antiquissimus  Hecataeus  fuisse 


52  WALTER  DENNISON 

dicitur  (fr.  27  Muell.)  et  posteriores  complures  (Coelius,  apud 
Servium  ad  Aen.  10 ;  Ovidius,  fast.  4,  45 ;  Dionys.  I,  73 ; 
Suetonius,  Caes.  81;  a?.)."  It  should  be  noted  that  the  in- 
scription is  quoted  in  indirect  discourse,  and  that  Suetonius, 
by  his  last  statement,  cuius  rei  .  .  .  Caesaris,  implies  that  the 
truthfulness  of  the  account  had  been  questioned. 

Augustus,  12 

Et  quo  magis  paenitentiam  prioris  sectae  approbaret,  Nursinos  grandi 
pecunia  et  quam  pendere  nequirent  multatos  extorres  oppido  egit,  quod 
Mutinensi  acie  interemptorum  civium  tumulo  publice  extructo  ascripserant, 
pro  libertate  eos  occubuisse. 

Caligula,  8 

(Plinius)  addit  etiam  pro  argumento,  aras  ibi  ostendi  inscriptas :  ob 
Agrippinae  puerperium  .  .  .  Nee  Plini  opinionem  iiiscriptio  arae 
quicquam  adiuverit,  cum  Agrippina  bis  in  ea  regione  filias  enixa  sit,  et 
qualiscumque  partus  sine  ullo  sexus  discrimine  puerperium  vocetur,  quod 
antiqui  etiam  puellas  pueras,  sicut  et  pueros  puellos  dictitarent. 

The  inscription  has  never  been  found.     See  below,  pp.  58  ff. 

Hero,  41 
Leviterque  modo  in  itinere  frivolo  auspicio  mente  recreata,  cum  adnotas- 
set  insculptum  monumento  militem  Galium  ab  equite  R.  oppressum  trahi 
crinibus,  ad  earn  speciem  exiliiit  gaudio  caelumque  adoravit. 

I^ero,  45 
Statuae  eius  a  vertice  cirrus  appositus  est  cum  inscriptione  Graeca,  nunc 
demum  agona  esse,  et   traderet   tandem!     Alterius   collo    ascopera    deligata, 
simulque  titulus  :   Ego  quid  potui  ?   sed  tu  culleum  meruisti.     Ascriptum  et 
columnis,  iam  G alios  eum  cantando  excitasse. 

These  inscriptions,  as  the  context  shows,  were  written,  and 
not  of  a  permanent  character. 

Nero,  47 
Duos  scyphos  gratissimi   usus,   quos   Homerios  a  caelatura  carminum 
Homeri  vocabat,  solo  inlisit. 

Vitellius,  10 
Pari  vauitate  atque  insolentia  lapidem   memoriae   Othonis  inscriptum 
intuens,    dignum   eo   Mausoleo   ait,    pugionemque,    quo   is   se   occiderat,   in 
Agrippinensem  coloniam  misit  Marti  dedicandum. 

With  this  passage  we  may  compare  Plutarch's  statement 
(Otho,  18). 


THE  EPIGBAPHIC  SOUBCES   OF  SUETONIUS  53 

Vespasian,  1 
Manebantque  imagines  a  civitatibus  ei  positae  sub  hoc  titulo :    KaXais 
TeXoivrjcravTi. 

An  inscription,  \  kXaQC  TeXQ>JHCX)MTI  KU\,  inscribed 
upon  the  base  of  a  statue  believed  to  be  that  of  Vespasian, 
was  reported  first  by  Boissard,  Ant.  Mom.  I,  Tab.  51,  then  by 
Montfaucon,  Ant.  Expl.  Ill,  1,  10,  Tab.  1,  afterwards  by  Franz, 
C.  I.  Gr.  5897,  and  recently  by  Kaibel,  Inscr.  Crraee.  Sicil.  et 
Ital.  123*,  who  regards  it  as  spurious. 

Titus,  4 
Tribunus  militum  et  in  Germania  et  in  Britannia  meruit  summa  indus- 
triae,  nee  minore  modestiae  fama,  sicut  apparet  statuarum  et  imaginum  eius 
multitudine  ac  titulis  per  utramque  provinciam. 

Not  a  single  honorary  inscription  erected  to  Titus  has  thus 
far  been  found  in  Britain.  The  only  three  from  that  country 
that  mention  his  name  (^C.I.L.  VII,  1204,  1205;  Eph.  Epig. 
VII,  1121)  are  on  pigs  of  lead.  From  Germany,  only  one  is 
reported  by  Brambach,  C.I.Rh.^  Add.  2040.  Suetonius  knew 
of  the  existence  of  these  tituli,  very  likely  from  the  reports  of 
the  transactions  of  the  Senate,  preserved  in  the  public  archives. 

IV.  PASSAGES  REFERRING  IN  A  GENERAL  WAY  TO  IN- 
SCRIPTIONS THEMSELVES,  OR  TO  MONUMENTS  OFTEN 
INSCRIBED 

Reference  is  made  in  numerous  passages  to  monuments  that 
are,  as  a  rule,  inscribed,  or,  in  a  general  way,  to  inscriptions. 
The  most  important  instances  of  the  latter  are : 

Caesar,  28  > 

Ac  mox,  lege  iam  in  aes  incisa  et  in  aerarium  condita,  corrigeret  errorem. 

With  this  compare  Vesp.  8,  below. 

Augustus,  31 
Itaque  et  opera  cuiusque  manentibus  titulis  restituit. 

Augustus,  97 
Cum  lustrum  in  campo  Martio  magna  populi  frequentia  conderet,  aquila 
eum  saepius  circumvolavit,  transgressaque  in  vicinam  aedem  super  nomen 
Agrippae  ad  primam  litteram  sedit. 


64  WALTER  DENNISON 

This  building  was  perhaps  the  Pantheon  ;  see  the  inscription, 
C.LL.  VI,  896.     Cf.  Dio  Cass.  LIV,  28. 

Augustus,  97 

Sub  idem  terapus  ictu  fulminis  ex  inscriptione  statuae  eius  prima  nominis 
littera  effluxit. 

Cf.  Dio  Cass.  LIV,  29. 

Caligula,  14 

Non  defuerunt  qui  depugnaturos  se  armis  pro  salute  aegri  quique  capita 
sua  titulo  proposito  vovereiit. 

Caligula,  34 

Statuas  virorum  inlustrium,  ab  Augusto  ex  CapitoHna  area  propter  augus- 
tias  in  campum  Martium  conlatas,  ita  subvertit  atque  disiecit  ut  restitui 
salvis  titulis  non  potuerint. 

Vespaslanus,  8 

Aerearumque  tabularum  tria  milia,  quae  simul  conflagraverant,  restitu- 
enda  suscepit,  nndique  investigatis  exemplaribus ;  instrumentum  imperii 
pulcherrirmim  ac  vetustissimum,  quo  continebantur  paene  ab  exordio  urbis 
senatus  consulta,  plebi  scita  de  societate  et  foedere  ac  privilegio  cuicumque 
concessis. 

From  this  passage  we  may  infer  that  Suetonius  was  acquainted 
with  monuments  of  the  character  described;  see  Mommsen, 
Staatsrecht,  F,  p.  257,  n.  2.  Cf.  Caes.  28  (above,  p.  53),  and 
Aug.  94:  curasse  ne  senatus  consultum  ad  aerarium  deferretur. 

Domitianus,  15 

Atque  etiam  e  basi  statuae  triumphaUs  titulus  excussus  vi  procellae  in 
monimentum  proxumum  decidit. 

Domitianus,  23 

Xovissime  eradendos  ubique  titulos  abolendamque  omnem  memoriam 
decerneret. 

The  name  of  Domitian  was  not  in  all  cases  erased  from  his 
tituli,  but  very  often.  See  CLL.  II,  247T,  III,  312,  4013,  VI, 
398,  etc.     Cf.  Macrob.  Sat.  I,  12,  37. 

Important  references  to  monuments  often  provided  with 
inscriptions  are: 

Augustus,  1 
Ostendebatur  ara  Octavio  consecrata. 


THE  EPIGRAPIIIC  SOUBCES   OF  SUETONIUS  55 

Augustus,  31 
Statuas  omnium  triumphal!  effigie  in  utraque  fori  sui  porticu  dedicavit. 

Of  the  inscriptions  cut  upon  these  statues,  the  so-called  elo- 
gia^  some  have  been  preserved,  C.I.L.  P,  pp.  185  f. 

Augustus,  59 

Medico  Antonio  Musae,  cuius  opera  ex  ancipiti  morbo  convaluerat,  sta- 
tuaui  aere  conlato  iuxta  signum  Aesculapi  statuerunt. 

Tiberius,  5 
Et  quod  mox  simulacrum  Felicitatis  ex  S.  C.  publicatum  ibi  sit. 

Caligula,  7 
Quorum  (Germanici  et  Agrippinae  liberorum)  duo  infantes  adhuc  rapti, 
unus  iam  puerascens  insigni  festivitate,  cuius  effigiem  habitu  Cupidinis  in 
aede  Capitolinae  Veneris  Livia  dedicavit. 

Claudius,  1 

Praeterea  senatus  inter  alia  complura  marmoreum  arcum  cum  tropaeis  via 
Appia  (Druso)  decrevit. 

Cf.  Cohen,  Med.  Imj).  I,  pp.  220,  221,  nos.  1-6;  Eckhel,  Boc- 
trina  Num.  VI,  pp*.  176,  177,  for  coin  type  representing  this 
monument.  See  also  Jordan,  Topogr.  d.  Stadt  Rom.,  I,  1, 
p.  365,  n.  38.  ^ 

Claudius,  2 

Claudius  natus  est  lulio  Antonio,  Fabio  Africano  conss.  Kl.  Aug.  Lugu- 
duni,  eo  ipso  die  quo  primum  ara  ibi  Augusto  dedicata  est. 

See  Gardthausen,  Augustus.,  II,  2,  pp.  364  ff.,  and  cf.  Strabo, 
IV,  3,  p.  192. 

Claudius,  11 

Tiberio  marmoreum  arcum  iuxta  Pompei  theatrum,  decretum  quidem 
dim  a  senatu  verum  omissum  peregit. 

Nero,  50 
Reliquias  (Xeroiiis)  Ecloge  et  Alexandria  nutrices  cum  Acte  concubina 
gentili  Domitiorum  monimento  condiderunt,  quod  prospicitur  e  campo  Mar- 
tio  impositum  colli  Hortulorum.    In  eo  monimento  solium  porphyretici  mar- 
moris,  superstante  Lunensi  ara,  circumseptum  est  lapide  Thasio. 

Beyond  doubt,  Suetonius  saw  and  examined  this  monument, 
and  an  inscription  upon  it  may  have  been  the  source  of  his 
information  regardiijg  those  who  paid  the  last  rites  of  burial  to 


56  WALTER   DENNISON 

Nero.  For  the  location  of  the  monument,  see  Lanciani,  Forma 
JJrhis  Romae  (Mediol.  1894),  Fasc.  II,  Tab.  I,  and  Besehrei- 
hung  der  Stadt  Bom,  III,  2,  pp.  569  ff. 

Vespasianus,  12 
Quin  et  conantis  quosdam  originem  Flavii  generis  ad  conditores  Reatinos 
comitemque  HercuHs,  cuius  moiiimentum  extat  Salaria  via,  referre  irrisit 
ultro.  * 

V.     PASSAGES   THAT   EXHIBIT  A   RESEMBLANCE   TO 
EXISTING  INSCRIPTIONS 

I  have  found  three  passages  of  this  character,  but  the  resem- 
blance cannot  be  considered  specially  significant. 

Augustus,  57 
Equites  R.  natalem  eius  sponte  atque  consensu  biduo  semper  celebrarunt. 
Omnes  ordines  in  lacum  Curti  quot  annis  ex  voto  pro  salute  eius  stipem 
iaciebant,  item  Kal.  Ian.  strenam  in  Capitolio,  etiam  absenti,  ex  qua 
summa  pretiosissima  deorum  simulacra  mercatus,  vicatim  dedicabat,  ut 
Apollinem  Sandaliarium  et  lovem  Tragoeduni  aliaque. 

With  this  may  be  compared  the  inscription  published  in 
mtiz.  d.  Scavi,  1888,  p.  224  :  IMP  •  CAES/////DlVI  •  F  •  AVGVST  | 
PONTIF  •  MAXIMVS  •  COS  •  XT  |  TRIBVNICIA  •  POTEST  •  Xllll  | 
EX  STIPE  -QVAM  •  POPVLVS  •  ROMANVS  j  K  •  lANVARllS  • 
APSENTI  •  El  •  CONTVLIT  |  IVLIO  •  ANTONIO  •  AFRICANO  • 
FABIO  •  COS  I  MERCVRIO  •  SACRVM.     See  also  C.LL.  VI, 

Claudius,  20 
Claudiae  aquae  gelidos  et  uberes  fontes,  quorum  alteri  Caeruleo,  alteri 
Curtio  et  Albudigno  nomen  est,  simulque  rivum  Anienis  novi  lapideo  opere 
in  urbem  perduxit,  divisitque  in  plurimos  et  ornatissimos  lacus. 

With  this  we  may  compare  the  inscription  which  is  still  to  be 
seen  above  the  so-called  Porta  Maggiore,  in  the  wall  of  Aurelian, 
at  Rome,  CLL.  VI,  1256:  Tl  •  CLAVDIVS  DRVSI  F-CAISAR 
AVGVSTVS  GERMANICVS  PONTIF  •  MAXIM  •  |  TRIBVNICIA 
POTESTATE  XTl  COS-V  IMPERATOR  XXVTT  PATER  PATRIAE 
I  AQVAS  CLAVDIAM  EX  FONTIBVS  QVI  VOCABANTVR  CAE- 
RVLEVS  ET  CVRTIVS  A  MILLIARIO  XXXXV  |  ITEM  ANIENEM 
NOVAM  A  MILLIARIO  LXII  SVA  IMPENSA  IN  VRBEM  PER- 
DVCENDAS  CVRAVfT. 


THE  EPIGRAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  57 

The  additional  matter  in  Suetonius's  account  points  to  an- 
other source.  Cf.  Pliny,  JST.  H.  36,  121,  122.  Frontinus,  Be 
aquaeduct.  1,  14,  reads  Albudinus,  perhaps  more  correctly. 

Claudius,  21 

Fecit  et  Saeculares,  quasi  anticipates  ab  Augusto  nee  legitime  tempovi 
reservatos,  quanivis  ipse  in  historiis  suis  prodat,  intermissos  eos  Augustum 
multo  post,  diligentissime  annorum  ratione  subducta,  in  ordinem  redegisse. 
Quare  vox  praeconis  irrisa  est,  invitantis  more  sollemni  ad  ludos,  quos  nee 
spectasset  quisquam  nee  speetaturus  esset,  cum  superessent  adhuc  qui  specta- 
verant,  et  quidam  histrionum  product!  olim  tunc  quoque  producerentur. 

Compare  1.  66  of  the  familiar  inscription  commemorating  the 
Ludi  Saeculares,  as  celebrated  by  Augustus  (^Eph.  Epig.  VIII, 
p.  229);  has  neque  ultra  quam  semel  ulli  mor\talium  eos  spectare 
licet].  Cf.  also  Zosimus,  2,  5  :  irepuovre^i  ol  KrjpvKe^^  ek  rr)v  eop- 
Tr)V  arvvievac  irdvre^  eKeXevov  iirl  deav  rjv  ovre  irporepov  elhov  ovre 
fiera  ravra  OedcrovTaL ;  and  Herodianus,  3,  8,  10,  KaXovvT6<; 
rjKeiv  fcal  Oeda-acrOat  irdvTa^  a  firjre  el8ov  fxrjTe  oyjrovraL.  The 
passage  in  Suetonius  may  possibly  be  taken  from  a  Senatus- 
Consultum  passed  in  the  time  of  Claudius,  but  worded  like 
the  one  promulgated  in  connection  with  the  celebration  of 
Augustus.  — 

VI.    MISCELLANEOUS  REFERENCES 

Caesar,  80 

Peregrinis  in  senatum  allectis,  hbelkis  propositus  est :  Bonum  factum :  ne 
quis  senatori  novo  euriam  monstrare  velit ! 

VitelUus,  U 
Statim  libellus  propositus  est,  et  Chaldaeos  dicere,  bonum  factum,  ne  Vitel- 
Uus Germanicus  intra  eundem  Calendarum  diem  usquam  esset. 

Bonum  factum,  abbreviated  B  •  F-,  occurs  in  inscriptions  ;  cf. 
Bull.  Com.  1882,  p.  159,  and  1884,  p.  58  ;  see  also  the  Acta  of 
the  Ludi  Saeculares,  celebrated  by  Augustus,  1.  80. 

Augustus,  29 
Multaque  a  multis  tunc  extructa  sunt,  sicut  ...  a  Munatio  Planco  aedes 
Saturni. 

With  these  words  compare  C.I.L.  X,  6087. 


58  WALTER  DENNISOJSf 

Tiberius,  20 

Dedicavit  et  Concordiae  aedem,  item  Pollucis  et  Castoris  suo  fratrisqiie 
nomine,  de  manubiis. 

One  wonders  if  Suetonius  did  not  knoAv  this  from  an  inspec- 
tion of  the  dedicatory  inscriptions  of  the  respective  temples. 

Augustus,  50 

In  diplomatibus  libellisque  et  epistolis  signandis  initio  sphinge  usus  est, 
mox  imagine  Magni  Alexandri,  novissime  sua,  Dioscuridis  maiiu  sculpta, 
qua  signare  insecuti  quoque  principes  perseverarunt. 

Compare  the  Acta  of  the  Fratres  Arvales  for  February  26, 
of  the  year  118  a.d.  (C.LL.  VI,  p.  537). 

Is  it  not  possible  that,  in  writing  the  account  of  the  life  of 
Germanicus  (^CaL  1-7),  Suetonius  may  have  consulted  the 
inscription,  C.I.L.  VI,  911,  or  an  official  copy  of  it? 

Caligula,  8 

This  is  interesting  in  showing  how  Suetonius  has  treated  the 

conflicting  testimony  of  historians,  of  an  inscription,  and  of 

the  Acta. 

C.  Caesar-  natus  est  pridie  Kl.  Sept.  patre  suo  et  C.  Fonteio  Capitone 
coss.  Ubi  natus  sit,  incertum  diversitas  tradentium  facit.  CN.  Lentulus 
Gaetulicus  Tiburi  genitum  scribit,  PHnius  Secundus  in  Treveris,  vico  Am- 
bitarvio  supra  Confluentes;  addit  etiam  pro  argumento  aras  ibi  ostendi 
inscriptas :  ob  Agrippmae  puerperium.  Versiculi  imperante  mox 
60  divulgati  apud  hibernas  legiones  procreatum  indicant: 

In  castris  natus,  patriis  nutrilus  in  armis, 
lam  designati  principis  omen  erat. 

Ego  in  actis  Anti  editum  invenio.  Gaetulicum  refellit  Plinius  quasi  menti- 
tum  per  adulationem,  ut  ad  laudes  iuvenis  gloriosique  principis  aliquid  etiam 
ex  urbe  HercuU  sacra  sumeret,  abusumque  audentius  mendacio,  quod  ante 
annum  fere  natus  Germanico  filius  Tiburi  fuerat,  appellatus  et  ipse  C. 
Caesar ;  de  cuius  amabili  pueritia  immaturoque  obitu  supra  diximus.  Pli- 
nium  arguit  ratio  temporum.  Xam  qui  res  Augusti  memoriae  mandarunt, 
Germanicum  exacto  consulatu  in  Galliam  missum  consentiunt,  iam  nato 
Gaio. 

Nee  Plini  opinionem  inscriptio  arae- quicquam  adiuverit, >  cum  Agrippina 
bis  in  ea  regione  fihas  enixa  sit,  et  qualiscumque  partus  sine  uUo  sexus  dis- 
crimine  puerperium  vocetur,  quod  antiqui  etiam  puellas  pueras,  sicut  et 
pueros  puellos  dictitarent.      Extat  et  Augusti  epistula,  ante  paucos  quam 


THE  EPIGEAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  59 

obiret  menses  ad  Agrippinam  neptem  ita  scripta  de  Gaio  hoc  (neque  enim 
quisquam  iam'  alius  infans  nomine  pari  tunc  supererat)  :  Puerum.  Galum 
XV.  Kl.  lun.  si  dii  volent  ut  ducerent  Talarius  et  Asillius,  heri  cum  lis  con- 
stttui.  Mitto  praeterea  cum  eo  ex  servis  meis  viedicum,  quern  sci'ipsi  Germanico 
si  vellet  ut  7'etineret.  Valebis,  mea  Agrippina,  et  dabis  operam  ut  valens  per- 
venias  ad  Germanicum  tuum.  Abunde  parere  arbitror,  non  potuisse  ibi  nasci 
Gaium,  quo  prope  bimulus  demum  perductus  ab  urbe  sit.  Versiculorum 
quoque  fidem  eadem  haec  elevant  et  eo  facilius,  quod  ii  sine  auctore  sunt. 
Sequenda  est  igitur,  quae  sola  restat  publici  instrumenti  auctoritas,  praeser- 
tim  cum  Gains  Antium,  omnibus  semper  locis  atque  secessibus  praelatum, 
non  aliter  quam  natale  solum  dilexerit  tradaturque  etiam  sedem  ac  domi- 
cilium  imperii  taedio  urbis  transferre  eo  destinasse. 

Thus  Suetonius  values  the  testimony  of  the  acta  highest. 
Cf.  Tac.  Ann.  I,  41,  confirming  the  evidence  of  the  inscrip- 
tion.    See  above,  p.  52. 

Caligula,  15 

The  tituli  sepulcrales  of  Agrippina  and  of  Nero  are  extant 
(^C.I.L.  VI,  886,  887),  but  it  is  impossible  to  assert  that  Sue- 
tonius saw  them. 

Caligula,  23 

Agrippae  se  nepotem  neque  credi  neque  dici  ob  ignobilitatem  eius  vole- 
bat,  suscensebatque,  si  qui  vel  oratione  vel  carmine  imaginibus  eum  Caesarum 
insererent.  ~^^ 

See  Cohen,  Med.  Imp.  I,  p.  241,  n.  31,  and  De  Ruggiero, 
Biz.  Epigr.  II,  p.  32  {fin.'). 

Claudius,  17 

Ac  sine  ullo  proelio  aut  sanguine  intra  paucissimos  dies  parte  insulae  in 
deditionem  recepta,  sexto  quam  profectus  erat  mense  Romam  rediit,  tri- 
umphavitque  maximo  apparatu. 

Smilda^  thinks  that  Suetonius  seems  here  to  have  followed 
the  titulus  triumphalis,  O.I.L.  VI,  920.  Cf.  note  on  Vesp.  4, 
p.  60. 

Claudius,  24 
Triumphalia  ornamenta  Silano.  filiae  suae  sponso,  nondum  puberi  dedit. 

With  this  compare  C.I.L.  XIV,  2500. 

1  G.  Suetoni  TranquilU  vita  Divi  Claudii,  Groningae,  1896,  p.  79. 


60  WALTER  BENNISON 

Claudius,  25 

Equestris  militias  ita  ordiiiavit,  ut  post  cohortem  alam,  post  alam  tribu- 
natum  legionis  daret. 

With  this  compare  the  note  of  Cagnat  (^Cours  d^Spig.  latine^ 
p.  110),  "  cet  ordre  hierarchique,  qui  n'est  pas  confirm^  par  les 
inscriptions  de  cette  epoque,  fut,  en  tout  cas,  bientOt  inter- 
verti";  but  C.I.L.  XIV,  2960  seems  to  be  an  example.  So, 
too,  what  follows :  stipendiaque  instituit  et  imaginariae  militiae 
genus^  quod  vocatur  supra  numerum^  quo  absentes  et  tltulo 
tenus  fu7igerentur,  is  hardly  confirmed  by  the  inscriptions  ;  but 
cf.  Mommsen,  Staatsrecht,  III,  p.  552,  n.  1.  On  the  milites 
supernumerarii,  cf.  Marquardt,  Organisation  Mil.  (Paris,  1891), 
p.  223,  n.  4. 

It  is  interesting  also  to  note  here  Nero,  25  :  item  statuas  suas 
citharoedico  habitu  (<qua  nota  etiam  nummum  percussif). 

For  coins  with  this  type,  see  Cohen,  MSd.  Imp.  I,  p.  292, 
n.  196-203. 

Vespasianus,  4 

Claudio  principe  Narcissi  gratia  legatus  legionis  in  Germaniam  missus 
est ;  inde  in  Britanniam  translatus,  tricies  cum  hoste  conflixit.  Duas  vali- 
dissimas  gentes  superque  viginti  oppida  et  insulam  Vectem  Britanniae 
proximam  in  dicionem  redegit,  partim  Auli  Plauti  legati  consularis  partim 
Claudii  ipsius  ductu. 

"Worte  denen,"  says  Hiibner,  referring  to  this  passage 
(Hermes,  XVI,  p.  528,  n.  5),  "  wohl  der  Text  einer  Triumphal- 
inschrift  zu  Grunde  liegt." 

There  are  some  passages  which,  although  they  may  have  been 
taken  from  books  as  sources,  still  are  expressed  in  language 
peculiar  to  inscriptions,  e.  g.  Aug.  30  :  Aedes  sacras  vetustate 
conlapsas  aut  incendio  absumptas  refecit;  Oal.  21  :  Syracusis 
conlapsa  vetustate  moenia  deorumque  aedes  refectae;  Claud.  25: 
templumque  in  Sicilia  Veneris  Erycinae  vetustate  conlapswn  ut 
ex  aerario  pop.  R.  reficeretur,  auctor  fuit ;  Aug.  59:  statuam 
aere  conlato  .  .  .  statuerunt ;  Caes.  26  :  Forum  de  manubiis  ^ 
inchoavit,  etc. 

1  Cf .  Aug.  30,  ex  manubiali  pecunia,  which  is  not  the  language  of  inscriptions. 


THE  EPIGBAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  61 

VII.  THE  COGNOMINA  AND  TITLES  OF  THE  EMPERORS, 
OCCURRING  IN  SUETONIUS'S  NARRATIVE,  AS  CONFIRMED 
BY   THE   INSCRIPTIONS 

I  have  investigated  this  phase  of  the  subject,  so  that,  if  pos- 
sible, it  might  appear  whether,  in  obtaining  his  knowledge  of 
these  titles  or  cognomina,  Suetonius  made  use  of  literary  evi- 
dence only,  or  corroborated  what  he  found  in  written  docu- 
ments, by  an  inspection  also  of  epigraphical  evidence. 

Caesar,  16 

Noil  eiiim  honores  modo  iiimios  recepit ;  continuum  consulatum,  perpe- 
tuara  dictaturam,  praefecturamque  morum,  insuper  praenomen  Imperatoris, 
cognomen  Patris  patriae. 

Of  these  offices,  we  have  inscriptional  evidence  for  only 
dictator,  C.I.L.  11,  5439,  IX,  2563,  4191;  for  pater  patriae,  IX, 
34 ;  and  imperator,  IX,  2563,  II,  5439,  c.  104,  where  imperator  is 
not  a  praenomen.  Cf .  Josephus,  Ant.  lud.  14.  10.  2 ;  14.  10.  7, 
and  on  the  other  hand,  (7.7.(7.  3668,  C.LL.  I,  p.  398  (iv.  non. 
Aug.).  See  in  general  C.LL.  I,  pp.  451-453,  and  Mommsen, 
Staatsrecht,  II,  p.  767,  n.  1. 

Augustus,  7 
Infanti  cognomen  Thurino  inditum  est. 

See  above,  pp.  45  ff. 

Augustus,  7 
Postea  Gai  Caesaris  et  deinde  Augusti  cognomen  assumpsit. 

This  does  not  need  to  be  confirmed  by  inscriptions  (cf. 
Cagnat,  Oours  d''Spigr.  lat.  p.  171). 

Augustus,  58 

Patris  patriae  cognomen  universi  repentino  maximoque  consensu 
detulerunt  ei. 

Cf.  Cagnat  (I.e.),  and  Fast.  Praen.,  non.  Febr.  (O.L.L.  P, 
p.  309). 

Tiberius,  17 

Censuerunt  etiam  quidam  ut  Pannonicus,  alii  ut  Invictus,  nonnulli  ut 
Pius  cognominaretur.  Sed  de  cognomine  intercessit  Augustus,  eo  contentum 
repromittens,  quod  se  defuncto  suscepturus  esset. 


62  WALTER  BENNISON 

None  of  the  tituli  of  Tiberius  show  these  cognomina,  not 
even  those  erected  after  the  death  of  Augustus.  See  C.LL. 
IX,  p.  698,  n.  to  4192,  May  26. 

Tiberius,  26,  67 

Praenomen  quoque  imperatoris  cognomenque  pat r is  patriae,  et 
civicam  in  vestibulo  coronam  reciisavit;  ac  ne  Augusti  quidem  noiuen, 
quamquam  hereditarium,  uUis  nisi  ad  reges  ac  dynastas  epistolis  addidit. 

Ideoque,  ut  imperiura  inierit,  et  patris  patriae  appellationem  .  .  . 
reciisasse. 

The  praenomen  of  Imperator  nowhere  occurs  in  the  inscrip- 
tions of  Tiberius  of  Italian  provenance,  but  appears  in  three 
entire  inscriptions  from  Africa  QC.LL.  VIII,  685, 10023  ;  Eph, 
Epig,  V,  1436  ;  and  in  two  that  are  mutilated,  VIII,  5205, 
10018  (perhaps  also  10492). 

There  has  been  found,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  Latin  titulus  of 
Tiberius  in  which  he  is  called  pater  patriae  (see  C.L  Gr.  2087), 
although  Cagnat  (p.  160)  makes  the  statement  that  all  the 
Emperors  bore  this  title ;  but  cf .  Mommsen,  Staatsrecht,  II, 
pp.  779,  780.  The  phrase  in  §  67  (existimant  quidarri)  seems  to 
refer  to  some  written  source  of  information.  Suetonius's  state- 
ment is  corroborated  by  Tac.  Ann.  I,  72 ;  Dio  Cass.  LVII,  8. 

Tiberius  is  often  called  Augustus  in  inscriptions,  although  it 
is  to  be  noted  here  that  Suetonius's  source  was  the  letters  of 
the  Emperor.  _,    . 

^  Tiberius,  50 

.  Tulit  etiam  perindigne  actum  in  senatu,  ut  titulus  suis  quasi  Augusti,  ita 
et  Liviae  filius  adiceretur.  Quare  non  parentem  patriae  appellari, 
noa  ullum  insignem  honorem  recipere  publice  passus  est. 

Tiberius's  filiation  is  nowhere  expressed  thus  in  his  inscrip- 
tions, although  Livia  is  occasionally  called  mater  Ti.  Caesaris, 
as  in  C.LL.  II,  2038  ;  IX,  3304 ;  X,  7340,  7501 ;  L2?h.  Epig. 
IV,  366.  There  is  no  epigraphical  evidence  for  Livia  being 
parens  patriae,  but  she  has  the  title  of  mater  patriae  on  the 
coins  of  the  colonies.     See  Eckhel,  Doctrina  Num.  VI,  p.  155. 

Caligula,  22 
Compluribus  cognominibus   adsumptis  (nam  et  pius   et   castrorum 
filius  et  pater   exercituum  et  optimus  maximus  Caesar  voca- 
batur)  .  .  .  et  quidam  eum  Latiarem  lovem  consalutarunt. 


THE  EPIGBAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  63 

None  of  these  cognomina  are,  of  course,  found  in  the  tituli 
of  Caligula,  while  in  our  passage  no  mention  is  made  of  the 
cognomen  of  Germanicus  which  alone  has  epigraphical  evi- 
dence ;  so,  too,  the  fact  that  Caligula  refused  the  praenomen  of 
Imperator  is  passed  by  in  silence. 

Claudius,  1 
Germanici  cognomen  (senatus  decrevit)  ipsi  (Druso  patri)  posterisque  eius. 

Drusus  is  often  called  Germanicus  in  his  tituli,  Claudius 
nearly  everywhere  ;  but  it  is  clear  that  Suetonius  knew  this 
from  a  decree  of  the  Senate. 

Claudius,  12 
Praenomine  Imperatoris  abstinuit. 

This  is  generally  confirmed  by  the  monuments ;  exceptions 
are  in  the  Acta  of  the  Fratres  Arvales,  C.I.L.  VI,  p.  467%  1. 10  f. 

Nero,  8 
Ex   imniensis,   quibus   cumulabatur,   honoribus  tantuni    Patris   patriae 
nomine  recusato  propter  aetatem. 

Nero  assumed  the  title  at  the  end  of  b^  a.d.  (Egbert,  Latin 
Inscriptions^  p.  128),  but  quod  notahile  est,  it  does  not  occur  in 
i\\Q  privilegium  of  the  year  60,  July  2  (^C.I.L.  Ill,  p.  845). 

Galba,  4 
Adoptatusque  (Galba)  a  noverca  sua  Livi  nomen  et  Ocellae  cognomen 
assumpsit,  mutato  praenomine;    nam   Luciuin  mox  pro   Servio  usque  ad 
tempus  imperii  usurpavit. 

The  inscriptions  of  Galba  are,  of  course,  very  few  in  num- 
ber, especially  those  that  were  erected  before  he  was  saluted 
Emperor,  so  that  upon  no  monument  inscribed  in  Latin  is  he 
called  Lucius  Livius  Ocella.  In  C.I.  G.  4957,  however,  his 
name  is  given  Aov/ao<;  Al^co<;  ^e/Saa-ro^;  ^ovXirUio^  Td\^a<i 
AvroKpdrcop  and  Aov/cto<;  Ae/^to?  ^ovXttlklo^;  FaX/^a?  Kalcrap 
^e/Saarb^  AvroKpdrcop.  See  C.I.L.  VI,  1446,  and  Eckhel, 
Doetrina  Num.  VI,  pp.  299,  300. 

Galba,  4,  Ser.  Galba  Imp. 

OtJio,  2,  Otho  imperator. 

Vit.  3,  A.  Yitellius  L.  filius  Imperator. 


64  WALTER    DEN XI SON 

The  praenomen  Imperator  regularly  precedes  the  nomen  on 
the  coins  of  Otho  (Cohen,  Med.  Imp.  I,  pp.  352-354),  and 
regularly  follows  the  nomen  on  the  coins  of  Vitellius  (Cohen, 
I.e.  pp.  355  f.);  on  the  coins  of  Galba,  however,  it  is  very  often 
put  after  the  nomen,  sometimes  also  before  it  (Cohen,  pp.  319  ff.; 
Eckhel,  op.  cit.  pp.  291,  292).  This  order  is  confirmed  by  the 
few  existing  inscriptions,  C.I.L.  Ill,  p.  1958;  X,  770,  771 ; 
VI,  929,  pp.  496,  498;  XIV,  2496«  (cf.  Bull.  delV  Inst.  1871, 
p.  21);  with  the  exception  of  C.I.L.  X,  8016,  where  see  the 
note.  Cf.  Mommsen,  Staatsrecht.,  II,  p.  769,  n.  5,  and  Eckhel, 
op.  cit.  VIII,  p.  349,  §  1. 

Vitellius,  8 
Cognomen  Germanici  delatum  ab  universis  cupide  recepit,  August!  distu- 
lit,  Caesaris  in  perpetmim  recusavit. 

In  the  inscriptions  Vitellius  is  regularly  called  Germanicus ; 
he  is  called  Augustus  in  the  mutilated  inscription,  C.I.L.  XIV, 
2496%  if  it  has  been  rightly  restored  by  Dessau  (see  Index,  III), 
and  also  in  the  fragmentary  Acta  of  the  Fratres  Arvales,  a.d. 
Ill  non.  lun.,  C.I.L.  VI,  p.  499,  Tab.  II,  1.  12  ;  yet  he  is  not 
given  this  title  in  the  Acta  of  IIII  kal.  lun.,  and  it  is  not  found 
upon  coins  (Eckhel,  op.  cit,  VI,  p.  309).  There  is  no  epi- 
graphical  evidence  that  Vitellius  bore  the  cognomen  Caesar^ 
with  the  exception  of  the  mutilated  inscription,  X,  8016, 
a  TVRRE  XLIIII  |  imP  •  A  •  VITELLIVS  •  C/////.  Cf.  Tac.  Hist. 
1,  62  ;  2,  62  ;  3,  58. 

Vitellius,  11 
Seque  perpetuum  consuleni  (ordiuavit). 

This  is  confirmed  by  C.I.L.  VI,  929,  A  •  VITELLIVS  |  •  IM- 
PERATOR •  I  COS  •  PERP.  Cf.  Mommsen,  Staatsrecht,  II, 
p.  1097,  n.  2. 

Vespasianus,  12 
Ac  ne  tribuniciam  quidem  potestatem  *  patris  patriae  appellationem  nisi 
sero  recepit.     [Roth  supplies  aut  before  patris.'] 

Vespasian  received  the  tribunicia  potestas  for  the  first  time 
on  July  1,  69  a.d.  The  inscription  in  which  he  is  first  called 
pater  patriae^  C.I.L.  X,  8005,  belongs  to  the  year  70  (some 
time  before  July  1),  and   yet  in   the  militum  privilegium  VI 


THE  EPIGRAPBIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  65 

{C.I.L.  Ill,  p.  849),  dated  March  7  of  the  same  year,  he  does 
not  have  this  title.  But  this  is  not  important,  for,  although 
the  Emperor  is  named  pater  jmtriae  in  the  privilegia  (^C.I.L. 
Ill,  pp.  850, 1959)  of  April  5,  71  a.d.,  he  is  not  in  later  inscrip- 
tions, O.LL.  X,  3828  (77  a.d.),  3829  (78  a.d.),  XIV,  3485. 

Titus,  6 
Triiimphavit  cum  patre  censuramque   gessit  una,  eidem   collega  et  in 
tribunicia  potestate  et  in  septem  consulatibus  fuit. 

Titus  was  censor  together  with  his  father  in  the  years  73 
and  74  a.d.  (Mommsen,  Staatsrecht^  II,  p.  338,  n.  1).  Also, 
having  had  his  father  as  colleague  throughout,  he  was  holding 
the  tribunicia  potestas  for  the  eighth  time,  and  was  consul  for 
the  seventh  time,  when  Vespasian  died  on  July  23,  79  a.d. 

Domitianus,  13 
Pari  arrogantia,  cum  procuratorum  suorum  nomine  formalem  dictaret 
epistulam,  sic  coepit:  Dominus  et  deus  noster  lioc  fieri  iuhet.  Unde  institutum 
posthac,  ut  ne  scripto  quidem  ac  sermone  cuiusquam  appellaretur  aliter. 
.  .  .  Consulatus  septemdecim  cepit,  quot  ante  eum  nemo;  ex  quibus  septem 
medios  continuavit,  .  .  .  Germanici  cognomine  assumpto. 

In  the  inscriptions,  at  any  rate,  Domitian  is  nowhere  named 
Dominus  et  Deus.  See  Mommsen,  Staatsrecht,  II,  pp.  760-763; 
Eckhel,  VIII,  pp.  364  fol. ;  and  cf .  Aug.  53,  Tib.  27. 

It  is  shown  by  epigraphic  evidence  also  that  Domitian,  sur- 
passing all  previous  records,  held  the  consulship  seventeen 
times,  and  from  the  year  82  to  88  continuously.  In  the  year 
84  he  assumed  the  cognomen  Grermanieus,  which  occurs  gener- 
ally in  his  inscriptions. 

It  is  necessary  merely  to  refer  to  the  other  consulships  and 
censorships  mentioned  by  Suetonius.  See  Caes.  76;  Cal.  17; 
Claud.  14,  16;  Vit.  2;  Vesp.  4,  8. 

If  we  consider  it  certain  that  the  resemblances  existing 
between  the  text  of  Suetonius  and  the  Monumentum  Ancy- 
ranum  were  due  to  the  fact  that  the  historian  made  extracts, 
not  from  the  inscription  itself,  but  from  an  original  document 
providing  for  its  erection,  or  a  written  copy  of  that  document. 


66  WALTER   DENNISON 

there  are  only  four  passages  (^Aug.  7;  Cal,  23;  Tib.  5;  Claud. 
41)  which  clearly  show  that  Suetonius  made  use  of  epigraphic 
sources. 

In  the  case  of  the  other  passages,  although  the  account  of 
Suetonius  often  agrees  with  what  is  found  in  inscriptions 
(matter,  however,  which  could  be  taken  as  well  from  literary 
sources),  there  are  yet  some  passages  which  prove  that  Sue- 
tonius not  only  did  not  make  use  of  the  most  ordinary  and 
commonly  occurring  tituli,  but  did  not  even  read  them  care- 
fully; if  he  had  done  so,  we  should  hardly  expect  him  to  make 
the  statement  he  does  Avitli  regard,  for  instance,  to  the  prae- 
nomen  Augustus  being  refused  by  Tiberius  (^Tih,  26),  and  with 
regard  to  other  matters,  such  as  those  dealt  with  in  Tib.  50  (see 
above,  p.  62);  Nero,  8  (p.  63);   Galba,  2  (p.  50). 

On  the  other  hand,  we  cannot  know  definitely  how  many 
inscriptions,  of  which  he  has  made  no  mention,  Suetonius  may 
have  examined  and  used  as  sources.  In  one  instance,  Cal.  8 
(see  above,  p.  58),  it  is  noteworthy  that  he  has  quoted  an 
inscription  as  deserving  some  consideration. 

Suetonius,  as  we  have  seen,  held  the  important  position  of 
epistolarum  magister  under  Hadrian  (^Spart.  12,  3),  and  so, 
doubtless,  had  access  to  all  important  state  documents  and 
writings  that  were  preserved  in  various  archives.  A  wealth  of 
written  historical  material  was  to  be  found  in  these  archives 
and  in  the  libraries ;  he  was  not  therefore  under  the  necessity 
of  consulting  epigraphic  monuments  directly.  In  these  times, 
however,  the  amount  of  documentary  evidence  available  is 
comparatively  small,  and  we  must  rely  much  more  largely 
upon  inscriptions  than  the  ancients  did.  Finally,  as  G.  Becker 
remarks  (e/.  J.  81,  p.  195),  "  Suetonius  potius  grammaticus 
erat  quam  rerura  scriptor,  et  Caesarum  Vitas  eisdem  rationibus 
quibusdam  composuit  quibus  res  grammaticas  scribebat."  ^ 

Walter  Dennison. 

1  Cf .  H.  Lehmann,  Claudius  und  Nero  und  Hire  Zeit,  Gotha,  1858,  pp.  49,  50. 


THE  EPIGBAPHIC  SOURCES  OF  SUETONIUS 


67 


INDEX  OF  PASSAGES 


Caesar     6  .  . 

9 

26 

28 

30 

31 

42 

49 

50 27,28 

52 28  (2) 

55 28(2) 

56 28(5) 

76 61,  65 


77 
80 
81 
83 
85 
86 


PAGE 

.  .  28 

.  28(2) 
28  (2),  60 

.  .   53 

.  .  28 

.  .  27 

.  .  28 

.  .   28 


.  .   28 

.  51,  57 

■  .  .   51 

33,  42,  44 

.  .   48 

.  .   27 


Augustus    1 45,  54 

2 28,  29 

3 27,  28,  29,  45 

4 28 

5 29,  47 

7 28,  37,  45,  46,  61  (2),  66 

8 30,  47 

9 31 

10 28,  30  (2) 

11 28 

12 52 

13 30 

15 27 

16 28 

17 36 

21  ...  .   31,  36  (3),  37  (3),  41,  42  (2),  43 

22 31,  33,  41,  42 

23 27 


24 

26 
27 
28 
29 
30 


32 

27,  31,  33 

28,  31  (2),  32  (2),  40  (2),  41,  42  (2) 

28,37,43 

.  .  .  .  34(3),  35,  42  (3),  43,  57 
.  .  .  .  34(2),  35,  42,  43,  60(2) 


68  IVALTEE   DENNISON 

I'AGK 

Augustus  SI 32  (2),  34,  35,  42  (2),  47,  53,  55 

34 32 

"    35 28,  32,  42 

"    40 32 

41 31,  33,  42 

42 31 

43  .  .  -.  .  .  .  32,  35(4),  40  (2),  41  (2),  43 

46 36,  41 

'.    48 36 

49 34,  42 

"    50  , 40,  58  ■ 

"    51 27,  28 

52 31,  36,  42 

53 , 65 

"    57 29,  33,  56 

58 29,  37,  61 

"    59 55,  60 

"    63 28 

"    68 28 

"    69 28 

"   '70 28 

71  ... 28  (3),  40,  44 

76 28(3) 

"    77 28 

79 28 

"    85 28 

"    86 28,  44 

"    87 28,  40  (2),  44 

"    88 28,  29,  44 

"    92 28 

94 28  (3),  54 

"    97 53,  54 

"    99 27 

"   101 30,  38-40,  44  (2) 

Tiberius    2 47 

"     5 27,  29,  47,  55,  66 

7 47 

9 27,  36  (2),  41 

"    16 36 

17 61 

20 58 

"    21 28,  29 

"    23 33,  44 

"    24 27 

"    25 47 

"    26 62,  66 

»    27 .65 

28 27 


THE  EPIGRAPHIC  SOURCES   OF  SUETONIUS  69 

PAGK 

Tiberius  50 62,  66 

"         61 28 

"         67 28,  62 

"         76 44 

Caligula  1-7 58 

4 27 

7 41,  55 

8 27,  28  (2),  29  (2),  47,  52,  58,  66 

14 54 

15 49,  59 

17 65 

18 41 

19 29 

21 60 

22 62 

23 27,  28,  46,  48,  59,  66 

24 49 

25 27 

34 54 

41 49 

47 27 

49 41 

51 29 

Claudius    1 29  (2),  49,  55,  63 

2 28,  47,  55 

4 :— .     .     .    28(3) 

11 55 

12 63 

14 65 

16 27,65 

17 59 

20 56 

21 28,  57 

24 59 

25 60(2) 

33 28 

38 28(2) 

41 28,  29,  48,  66 

42 28 

44 27 


Nero       8 63,  66 

10 50 

"         23 28 

"         24 28 

"         25 60 

29 27 


^ 


70  WALTER  DENNISON 

PAGE 

Hero        41 28,  52 

45 52 

47 52 

49 27 

"  50 , 55 

52  ..... 44 

Galba         2 50,  66 

3 29 

"  4 63  (2) 

Otho  2 63 

9 27 

10 29 

VUellius       1  ....  - .    27 

2 28,  65 

3 50,  63 

8  .     .     . 64 

"  10 52 

11 64 

14 57 

Vespasian      1 29,  50,  53 

4 60,  65 

8 27,  54,  65 

12 56,  64 

"  16 27 

Titus  4 53 

6 65 

Domitian      5 51 

12 29 

13 28,  51,  65 

15 54 

23 54 

DeIll.Gram.l7 47 


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